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Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


as  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 

WMSTH.N.Y.  14SI0 

(716)l7a-4S03 


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CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHIVI/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Instituta  for  Historical  IVAicroraproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  da  microraproductions  historiquaa 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtain  the  Isest 
original  cooy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


D 


D 
D 
D 
D 

D 


□ 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I      I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagAe 


Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^  et/ou  pellicuMe 


I      I    Cover  title  missing/ 


Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  g6ographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  init  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 


Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 
Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 


Bound  with  other  matf^rijl/ 
ReliA  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  i'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  de  la  marge  intArieure 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whehever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajoutAes 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
male,  lorsque  cela  4tait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  AtA  filmAes. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires; 


L'Institut  a  microfilm*  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  At*  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sent  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique.  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  m^thode  normale  de  f ilmage 
sont  indiQ«<te  ci-dessous. 


I      I   Coloured  pages/ 


D 


Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagies 

Pages  restored  and/oi 

Pages  restaurAes  et/ou  peiliculAes 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxet 
Pages  dicolor^es.  tachetAes  ou  piquies 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  ditachies 

Showthroughy 
Transparence 

Quality  of  prir 

Quality  inAgaie  de  i'impression 

Includes  supplementary  materii 
Comprend  'u  materiel  supplAmentaire 

Only  edition  available/ 
Steule  Edition  disponiblf 


I      I  Pages  damaged/ 

I      I  Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 

r~7]  Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 

I      I  Pages  detached/ 

r^  Showthrough/ 

I      I  Quality  of  print  varies/ 

I     I  Includes  supplementary  material/ 

□  Only  edition  available/ 
St 


The( 
toth 


The 
poss 
ofth 
filmi 


Origl 
begii 
the  I 
sion, 
othe 
first 
sion, 
or  ill 


F*ages  wholly  or  psrtialiy  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refiimed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partieiiement 
obscurcies  per  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc..  ont  M  filmies  A  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obt*nii  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


The 
shall 
TINl 
whic 

Map 
diffe 
entir 
begli 
right 
requ 
metf 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  below/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  reduction  indiquA  ci-dessous 

10X                           14X                           18X                           22X 

26X 

30X 

y 

12X 

10X 

20X 

24X 

28X 

32X 

The  copy  filmed  here  hes  been  reproduced  thenks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

Nationei  Library  of  Canada 


L'exemplaire  film6  fut  reproduit  grflce  A  la 
g6n4rosit6  de: 

Bibiiothdque  nationale  du  Canada 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  iteeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Les  images  suivantes  ont  6t6  reproduites  avec  ie 
plus  grand  soin,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  et 
de  la  netteti  de  l'exemplaire  film6,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  illustrated  impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


Les  exemplaires  originaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  imprimie  sont  film6s  en  commen9ant 
par  Ie  premier  plat  et  en  terminant  soit  par  la 
dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration.  soit  par  Ie  second 
plat,  selon  ie  cas.  Tous  les  autres  exemplaires 
originaux  sont  fiim6s  en  commen9ant  par  la 
premlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  — ^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  ▼  (meaning  VEND  "), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  dee  symboles  suivants  apparaftra  sur  la 
derniAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  Ie 
cas:  Ie  symbols  — ►  signifie  "f^  SUIVRE",  Ie 
symbols  V  signifie  "FIN". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc..  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  end  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmfo  A  des  taux  de  r6duction  diff6rents. 
Lorsque  ie  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  film6  d  partir 
de  Tangle  sup^rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bes,  en  prenant  Ie  nombro 
d'imeges  nicessaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


1  2  3 


1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

a^  I 


WEST 


^ 


^Jr^l 


IMPEESSIONS 


AND 


EXPERIENCES 


OF    THR 


WEST  INDIES   AND  NOETH  AMERICA 


IN     1849. 


BT 


ROBERT    BAIRD,  A.  M. 


"Oueluin  non  auiinuin  mutaut  qui  trans  mare  currunt." 


-^M 


PHILADELPHIA: 

LEA    &    BLANOHARD, 

1850. 


[\hl 


0>o 


222458 


JAM 


AN! 


THE 


8 


TO  HIS  EXCELLENCY 

JAMES  MACAULAY  HIGGINSON, 

GOVERNOR-GENERAL  AND  COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 

IN  AND  OVER  THE  ISLANDS  OF 

ANTIGUA,  MONTSERRAT,  BARBUDA,  SAINT  CHRISTOPHER,  NEVIS, 

ANGUILLA,  DOMINICA,  AND  THE  VIRGIN  ISLANDS, 


€Yu  Wutk, 


THE  RESULT  OF  NOTES  COMMENCED  WHEN  ENJOYING  HIS  SOCIETY 
AND  HOSPITALITY  IN  GOVERNMENT  HOUSE,  ANTIGUA, 

IS    RESPECTFULLY    DEDICATED 

BY  HIS  OBLIGED  FRIEND, 

THE  AUTHOR. 


\ 


gene 

a  lit 

mucJ 

exce 

and 

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atter 

Wes 

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then 

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urge] 

in  lit 

duce 

confi 

book 

indu< 


PREFACE 


"  I'll  publish,  right  or  wrong!" — Byron. 


To  be  last  written,  and  least  read,  is  the  fate  of  the 
generality  of  prefaces.  In  a  chapter  which  belongs  to 
a  literary  family,  of  which  such  a  remark  may,  with 
much  truth,  be  made,  length  were  a  fault,  brevity  an 
excellence.  My  Preface  to  the  following  "  Impressions 
and  Experiences"  will  therefore  be  very  short,  consist 
ing  of  little  more  than  the  acknowledgment  that  if  the 
attempt  to  delineate  life,  manners,  and  scenery  in  the 
West  Indies,  and  in  America,  should  unfortunately 
prove  unworthy  of  any  share  of  public  estimation, 
there  is. no- one  responsible  or  amenable  for  them,  or 
for  their  publication,  save  myself:  for  although  the 
urgency  of  friends,  and  even  of  friends  of  some  name 
in  literary  life,  has  certainly  not  been  wanting  to  in- 
duce me  to  "  see  my  name  in  print,"  I  have  not  such 
confidence  in  Byron's  attendant  dictum,  "  A  book's  a 
book,  although  there's  nothing  in't,"  which  would  have 

induced  me  to  publish,  however  strongly  importuned, 

1* 


G 


PKKFACE. 


Iiad  it  not  been  for  the  opinion  entertained  by  myself, 
that  I  would  succeed  in  making  my  Work  instructive 
or  amusing,  or  perchance  both.  So  far,  therefore,  from 
being  entitled  to  disarm  criticism  by  pleading,  in  de- 
fence of  publication,  a  compliance  with  the  solicitation 
of  others,  I  am  bound  in  truth  to  declare,  that  my 
chief  motive  for  giving  this  Work  to  the  press,  is  the 
hope,  that  a  perusal  of  my  "  Impressions  and  Experi- 
ences," in  the  course  of  a  voyage  not  frequently  under- 
taken, will  prove  pleasant  to  many,  and  profitable  to 
a  few — and,  more  particularly,  to  those  who  may,  like 
myself,  be  advised  or  induced  to  visit  the  West  Indian 
Archipelago  under  medical  advice.  Add  to  this,  that  I 
have  not  been  able  to  find,  among  more  recent  publica- 
tions, one  which  professes  to  give  anything  approaching 
to  what  I  would  call  a  domestic  portraiture  of  the 
Islands  and  Islanders  of  the  West  Indian  Archipelago, 
in  their  present  state  or  condition.  No  doubt  Mr. 
Coleridge's  spirited  little  volume,  published  first  in 
1826,  is  somewhat  of  this  character;  but  Mr.  Cole- 
ridge's visit  to  the  Islands  of  the  West  Indies  was 
made  in  1825,  ere  steam  had  wrought  its  marvels — 
and,  moreover,  his  visit  was  confined  to  a  very  few  of 
the  Islands.  Not  only  so — Mr.  Coleridge's  narratives, 
graphic  and  amusing  as  they  are,  have  but  little  appli- 
cation to  the  present  condition  of  West  Indian  society. 
They  were  written  with  exclusive  reference  to  a  state 
of  slavery;  and  they  are  written  in  a  strain  of  enthu- 
siastic description  which,  eloquent  and  in  the  main 
accurate  as  they  undoubtedly  are,  has  caused  them  to 
be  regarded  in  the  eyes  of  many,  as  extravagant,  if 


not 

has 

thinl 

subj( 

influj 

gratij 

the 


by  a( 

land, 

and, 

creas 

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that! 

whicl 

and  < 


PREFACE. 


by  myself, 
instructive 
[•efore,  from 
ling,  in  de- 
solicitation 
B,  that  my 
ress,  is  the 
ad  Experi- 
itly  under- 
[•ofitable  to 
'  may,  like 
est  Indian 
:his,  that  I 
it  publica- 
•proaching 
ire  of  the 
chipelago, 
loubt  Mr. 
d  first  in 
IMr.  Cole- 
idies  was 
larvels — 
ry  few  of 
irratives, 
tie  appli- 

i  society. 
o  a  state 
)f  enthu- 
le  main 
them  to 
igant,  if 


I 


not  incredible.  In  such  and  similar  considerations 
has  originated  my  desire  to  publish  this  Work;  and  1 
think  I  shall  have  exhausted  my  confessions  on  this 
subject,  when  I  add,  that  I  am  certainly  not  a  little 
influenced  by  a  desire  to  repay,  in  part,  a  debt  of 
gratitude  I  owe  to  my  many  dear  friends,  not  only  in 
the  West  Indies  and  in  Canada,  but  in  the 

UNITED   STATES  OF   AMERICA, 

by  adding  my  tribute  to  the  many  beauties  of  that 
land,  and  the  aany  excellencies  of  its  inhabitants ; 
and,  by  simply  speaking  of  both  as  I  found  them  in- 
crease, if  I  can,  even  by  a  little,  between  two  great 
nations,  identified  in  origin,  in  language,  and  in  duty, 
that  mutual  knowledge  of  each  other,  the  progress  of 
which  is  doing  so  much  to  promote  the  cause  of  peace 
and  civilization. 


!il 


Pbefaci 

Explanat 


Leaving '. 
Sea— J 
and  tb 


Leave  Bs 

Porpoii 
Englisl 
attachi 
West  Ii 
West  I 
Orange 
Antign 
•    1848—] 


Leaving  j 
and  Sp 
Nevis- 
canes  ) 
Tortola 


St.  Thorn 
mit  of 
Palm-1 
cipatioi 
Future 


CONTENTS. 


Pbeface, 


Page 
..    6 


CHAPTER  I. 


Explanatory  and  Introductory, 


13 


CHAPTER  II. 

Leaving  Home— Leaving  England— Southampton  and  Bay— Sea  Voyages— At 
Sea — Fellow -Passengers — Making  Land— Porto  Santo^Madeira— Tropics 
and  their  characteristics — Barbadoes — Tropical  Scenery. 15 

CHAPTER  in. 

Leave  Barbadoes— St.  Lucia — Martinique — Volcanic  phenomena — A  Shoal  of 
Porpoises — Tropical  Nights — Island  of  Dominica — Guadaloupe — Antigua — 
English  Harbour,  Antigua — Alone  in  a  Foreign  Land — Peculiar  interest 
attaching  to  Anti^a — Capital  of  Antigua — Island  of  Montserrat — Islands  of 
West  Indian  Archipelago  as  places  of  sanitary  resort — Comparative  view  of 
West  Indian  annoyances — Fig-tree  Hill,  Antigua — Sunset  at  St.  John's — 
Orange  Valley — Height  of  Hills,  and  clearness  of  atmosphere — Church  in 
Antigua — Soup  House  in  St.  John's — Earthquake  of  1848 — Hurricane  of 
1848— Negroes,  and  their  sayings. 


CHAPTER  rv. 

Leaving  Antigua— St.  Chiistopher's- Climate  and  Scenery — Central  Pathway 
and  Spooner's  Level — Visit  to  Nevis — Natural  Baths — Lodging  House  of 
Nevis — Courts  of  Law — Trial  by  Jury — Monkey  Hill — Canu  Stone — Hurri- 
canes and  Earthquakes — Islands  of  St.  Eustatia,  St.  Bartholomew,  Saba, 
Tortola,  Boriquen  or  Crab  Island— Anrival  at  St.  Thomas, 


CHAPTER  V. 

St.  Thomas— Town  of  St.  Thomas— Appearance  from  Sea — View  from  Sum- 
mit of  Mountain — Adaptation  for  Piracy — Visit  to  Santa  Cruz — Roads  and 
Palm-Trees  in  Santa  Cruz — Christianstadt — Insurrection  of  1848,  and  eman- 
cipation of  Slaves — Reflections  on  Former  Prosperity,  Present  State,  and 
Future  Prospects  of  Santa  Cruz — Return  to  St.  Thomas, 


-26 


55 


■TC 


10 


I      ; 


'!      f 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


Leaving  St.  Thomas— Island  of  Porto  Rico— Past  Statistics  of  Population- 
Saint  Domingo — Past  History  and  Present  I'osition — Late  Transposition  in 
Form  of  Government — ^Jamaica — Cruelty  of  Spaniards  to  Aborigines— Retri- 
butive Justice — General  Characteristics  of  o'amaica  Scenery—Visit  to  Port 
Roj  .^1  Mountains — Their  Scenery — Fire-Fli^s — Coffee-Plantation  and  Cof- 
fee-Piant — St.  lago  de  la  Vega— Statue  to  Rodney — Bog  Walk — Jamaica 
as  a  place  of  San.tary  Resort — Creole  Beauty — Port  Royal, 


81 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Leave  Jamaica — Sail  to  Crba — Bay  and  Town  of  Havanna — General  Aspect 
of  Havanna — Volante  or  Quitrin — Objects  of  Interest  in  Havanna — Grave 
of  Columbus — Slavd  Trade  of  Havanna — Franciscan  Church  and  Anecdote 
— Judicial  System  and  Laws  of  Cuba— Captain  General — Cuban  Statistics — 
Plsza  de  Armas — Paseo  Isabel — Theatre  Tacon — Campo-Santo— Public 
Baths  of  Havanna— Beauty  of  Cuban  Ladies— Cafes— Hotels— Public  Press 
in  Cuba — Cuartado  System — Domestic  and  Field  Labourers,  &c.  Leave 
Cuba, 

CHAPTER   VIII. 


Leavir 

'*    New 

:  k-c 

I    Tow 

':    Am< 


|Ameri( 
f  right 
\    inP 


iLeave 
I    ist«n 


.99 


|ApP' 


lenc 


The  British  West  Indian  Colonies — their  Claims — Position  and  Prospects,  •  •  •  •  132 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Sail  from  Cuba  to  Mobile — Mobile — Sail  to  New  Orleans — Fellow-Travellers, 
and  their  Habits  and  Feelings,  particularly  towards  England — American 
Steam-Ships — New  Orleans — fhe  Crevasse  and  the  Levee — The  Mississip{)i 
from  New  Orleans  to  Cairo — Mouth  of  the  Ohio — Louisville,  Kentucky — Sail 
to  Cincinnati, 


180 


CHAPTER  X. 


State  of  Ohio — City  of  Cincinnati — System  of  Education — Pork  Trade  of  Ohio 
— Railway  to  Sandusky — Americ£.n  Democracy — Sandusky  City — Lake 
Erie — City  of  Cleveland — Buffalo — Niagara  Village — FaUs  of  Niagara  and 
their  Concomitants, 207 

CHAPTER   XI. 

Leave  Niagara — Lewistown  and  Queenstown — Brock's  Monument — Lake  On- 
tario— Oswego — Kingston — Ogdensburg  and  Prescott — St.  Lawrence  and  its 
Scenery — Thousand  Islands — Shoot^^ing  the  Rapids — Lachine — Lachine  Rail- 
way and  Montreal— Quebec  and  its  citadel,  &c. — Falls  of  the  Montmorenci 

.  — Return  to  Montreal — Public  Fooling  in  Canada,  and  its  Causes, 


280 


CHAPTER   XII. 


Leave  Montreal — La  Prairie — Railway  to  St.  John's — Stcnmer  Burlington — 
Lake  Champlain — Lake  George — Whitehall — Rail  to  Siuatoga — Saratoga 
and  its  Springs — Railway  to  1  roy  and  Albany — Albany — Hudson  River — 
Arrival  at  New  York,    •   •  •   - 249 

CHAPTER   X:il. 

City  and  Harbour  of  New  York — English  Navigation  Laws— Papulation  and 
Progress  of  New  York — Comparative  Vit'y  of  New  York  and  Glasgow  in 
Scotland — Omnibusses  in  New  York — Croton  Wuter- Works — Opera  House 
Riot  in  1849 — Summary  of  Memorabilia  of  New  York — Routes  from  New 
York  to  Philadelphia — Philadelphia,  &c. — Girard  College — Routes  from 
Philadelphia  to  Baltimore— Baltimore — Monument  to  Washmgton — Railway 
to  Washmgton — Capital,  and  its  Capitol, 25 


CONTENTS. 


II 


s  of  Population— 
i  Transposition  in 
Lboriffines — Retri- 
!ry— Visit  to  Port 
mtation  and  Cof- 
;  Walk— Jamaica 
1» 81 


—General  Aspect 
Havanna — Grave 
■oh  and  Anecdote 
luban  Statistics — 
30-Santo — Public 
3ls — Public  Press 


rers,  &c.    Leave 


•  99 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

leaving  Washington — Return  to  New  York  wa  Baltimore  and  Philadelph?  i 
*    New  York— Route  to  Boston — New  England  Railways — The  Pilgrim  Fathers 
l\, — City  of  Boston — Harvard  University- -Cemetery  of  Mount   Ai.buiu — 

■    Town  of  Lowell,  its  Original  Foundplion,  Rise  and  Progiess,— Leaving 
America, 93 

CHAPTER  XV. 

lAmericans  and  their  Characteristics — American  Slavery — Intei  national  Copy- 
I  right- Emigration  to  North  America  in  General,  and  to  the  United  States 
«   in  Particular, - 308 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

iLeave  Boston  and  Halifax— Voyage  Home— Icebergs — Shoal  of  Whaias— Ex- 
I    istence  of  Sea-Serpent — Old  England, 341 

i 

|Appendix ••347 


id  Prospects,  •...132 


ellow-Travellers, 
land — American 
-The  Mississippi 
Kentucky — Sail 


•  180 


k  Trade  of  Ohio 
ky  City— Lake 
of  Niagara  and 


•207 


lent— Lake  On- 
awrence  and  its 
— Lachine  Rail- 
e  Montmorenci 


auses. 


•230 


T  Burlington — 
oga — Saratoga 
[udson  River — 


"jpulation  and 
nd  Glasgow  in 
-Opera  House 
ites  from  New 
—Routes  from 
fton — Railway 


25 


■249 


It  is 

Bligbtesl 

receptio 

Eind  nui 

)ublic/' 

?bat  th 

[underta] 

JThat,  in 

sojourn, 

any  ties 

medical 

tlie  cliii] 


Was  like 
diseases 
And  It 
city  dec 
and  rea( 
at  very 
But, 
of  the  b 


THE    WEST    INDIES. 


CHAPTER  I. 


I 


EXPLANATOIIY  AND  INTRODUCTORY. 
"  Utinom  tam  facile  vera  invenire  quam  falsa  convlncere." 

TtTTl 


TOtlY. 


\  It  is  not  because  it  is  imagined  that  it  is  a  circumstance  of  the 
Islightest  consequence  in  itself,  or  one  likely  to  afiFect,  in  any  way,  the 
freception  which  this  book  may  receive  at  the  hands  of  that  august 
and  numerous  body  whom  it  is  customary  to  designate  "  a  liberal 
public,"  that  I  set  out  with  the  mention  of  these  two  facts — Firsfj 
That  the  journey ings  which  have  given  cause  to  these  notes  were 
undertaken  solely  on  account,  or  in  pursuit  of  health  j  and.  Second, 
That,  in  seUcting  the  Weg  India  Islands  as  my  place  of  temporary 
sojourn,  I  was  not  influenced  by  any  considerations  of  business  or  by 
any  ties  of  connection.  To  these  islands  I  went  solely  because,  after 
medical  consultations,  numerous  and  erudite,  it  was  supposed  that 
the  climate  of  these 

"  Beautiful  islands  I  where  the  green 
Wliich  Nature  wears  was  never  seen 
'Neatli  zone  of  Europe  ;  where  tlie  hue 
Of  sea  and  heaven  Is  sue  h  a  blue 
As  England  dreams  not ;  where  the  night 
Is  all  irradiate  with  tlio  light 
Of  starlike  moons,  which,  hung  on  high, 
Breathe  and  quiver  in  the  sky,'* 

was  likely  to  have  a  salutary  and  a  sanitary  effect  on  the  disease  or 
diseases  under  which  my  corporeal  frame  was  supposed  to  labour  I 
And  I  took  the  westerly  route  readily,  becuuse,  as  the  resident  of  a 
city  deeply  interested  in  colonial  matters,  I  had  for  a  long  tin  >  heard 
and  read  much  of  West  India  distress,  without  being  able  to  arrive 
at  very  definite  or  tangible  notions  as  to  its  nature,  causes,  or  extent. 
But,  if  the  mention  of  these  facts  be  not  important  to  the  success 
of  the  book,  "  Why,"  the  reader  may  ask,  "  am  I  treated  or  troubled 


ROUTE  TRAVELLED. 


with  these  personal:ties  at  all  1"  The  question,  good  reader,  is  a  fair 
one,  and  will  be  honestly  answered.  I  have  no  interest  in  recording 
the  facts,  but  you  have  an  interest  in  knowing  them,  and  a  right  to 
know  thcra.  You  have  honoured  me  so  far  as  to  commence  the 
perusal  of  my  work,  (whether  you  intend  to  finish  it  or  not  is  another 
question  entirely ;)  and,  without  prying  into  matters  which  concern 
only  your  bookseller  and  yourself,  1  take  it  for  granted  that  you  have 
paid  for  the  privilege  of  perusal,  such  as  it  is.  You  have  therefore 
a  right  to  know  everything  that  can  throw  light  upon  the  bias  or 
honesty  under  or  with  which  my  book  has  been  penned.  Now,  it  is 
well  known  that  the  object  for  which  a  man  sees,  or  goes  to  see,  will 
greatly  affect  the  medium  through  which  he  sees,  and  the  lights  under 
which  he  afterwards  represents  the  objects  seen.  Of  no  part  of  the 
globe  does  this  more  truly  hold  good  than  of  the  British  colonial 
possessions  in  the  West  Indies.  Therefore  it  is  that  I  ha\e  deemed 
it  right  thus,  in  the  outset,  to  chronicle  the  fact  that,  in  mj  voyagings 
to  the  West,  I  went  neither  as  a  friend  of  slavery  nor  as  an  emanci- 
pationist ;  I  journeyed  neither  as  a  Protectionist,  nor  as  a  Ministe- 
rialist, nor  as  a  Free-trader. 

The  route  undertaken  and  accomplished  was  from  England  to  Bar- 
badoes,  by  way  of  Madeira,  and  thence,  in  a  north-west  direction, 
through  the  numerous  English,  French,  Danish  and  Spanish  islands 
of  the  West  Indian  Archipelago.  Thereafter  from  Cuba  across  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico  to  Mobile  and  New  Orleans,  up  the  Mississippi  and 
the  Ohio  to  Cincinnati,  northward  to  the  great  American  Jakes  into  Ca- 
nada— and  from  Canada,  by  the  Hudson  river  to  New  York  and  the 
other  great  cities  of  the  American  Union.  Any  more  minute  detail 
of  the  lines  of  travel  has  been  rendered  unnecessary  by  the  note  of 
contents  prefixed  to  each  chapter,  for  the  guidance  and  convenience 
of  the  reader. 

I  have  only  to  add,  that,  throughout,  it  has  been  my  main  object 
to  vindicate  the  humble  title  I  have  selected  for  my  book,  by  chroni- 
cling incidents  exactly  as  they  occurred,  and  things  precisely  as  they 
are  j  and,  whatever  reception  my  descriptions  may  meet  with,  I  have 
received  from  them  much  pleasure  in  the  minute  record  kept  by  me 
of  my  daily  experiences,  and  in  the  excerpting  from  these  copious 
though  rough  notes,  such  portions  of  them  as  I  have  thought  worthy  of 
the  honour,  and  likely  to  excite  attention  and  create  interest  in  the 
minds  of  general  readers. 


In 

in  imn 
But,  w 
ark  to 
who,  ai 
ails  to 
team  s 
laims  1 
on  to  t 
ly  "in 
he  nob 
found 
paid  foi 
feet  squ 
lucendo 
ship  ac( 
represei 
colourci 
perienc 
lost  the 
ties  wh: 
to  thei 
delusioi 
announ 
cloud  \ 
cabin  h 
and  CO 
erronec 
closet 
the  be^ 
It  w 
the  mc 
\  those  I 
of  Sco 
the  we 


LEAVING  HOME. 


15 


1  reader,  is  a  fair 
rest  in  recording 
n,  and  a  right  to 

0  commence  the 
or  not  is  another 
rs  which  concern 
ted  that  you  have 
u  have  therefore 
ipon  the  bias  or 
ned.  Now,  it  is 
•  goes  to  see,  will 

1  the  lights  under 
f  no  part  of  the 

British  colonial 
it  I  ha^e  deemed 
,  in  my  voyagings 
lor  as  an  emanci- 
lor  as  a  Ministc- 

England  to  Bar- 
h-west  direction, 
1  Spanish  islands 
Cuba  across  the 
>  Mississippi  and 
jan  lakes  into  Ca- 
}W  York  and  the 
)re  minute  detail 
y  by  the  note  of 
and  convenience 

my  main  object 
book,  by  ehroni- 
precisely  as  they 
eet  with,  I  have 
cord  kept  by  mc 
u  these  copious 
lought  worthy  of 
interest  in  the 


CHAPTER  II. 


*'  Adieu !  adieu  I  my  native  shore  ' 

Fades  o'er  the  waters  blue." — BrKOJf. 

"  Ille  robur  et  ods  triplex 
Circa  pectus  erat,  qui  fragllom  truci 
Commisit  pelago  ratem" — IIohacs. 


In  one  of  the  above  mottoes,  the  Augustan  poet  has  chronicled, 
in  immortal  verse,  the  hardihood  of  the  most  "  ancient  mariner." 
But,  whatever  the  courage  of  the  sailor  who  first  committed  a  frail 
jark  to  any  sea  j  or,  whatever  the  courage  of  the  great  Columbus, 
ivho,  anticipating  Columbia  over  the  distant  wave,  first  stretched  his 
ails  to  cross  the  broad  Atlantic  in  search  of  a  New  World ;  I  fear 
iteam  and  its  triumphs  have  destroyed,  for  the  modern  traveller,  all 
5laims  to  any  unwonted  degree  of  courage,  when  he  intrusts  his  per- 
on  to  the  tender  mercies  of  the  uncertain  sea.  Such,  at  least,  were 
ny  "impressions  and  experiences,"  ere  I  had  been  a  week  on  board 
he  noble  steam-ship,  the  Great  Western.  At  first,  like  all  landsmen, 
[  found  myself  not  merely  cabined,  (that  I  had  bargained  as  well  as 
paid  for,)  but  "  cabined,  cribbed,  and  confined,"  in  the  six  or  eight 
feet  square,  facetiously  denominated  a  "  state  room."  Lucus  a  non 
lucendo.  Like  those  of  many  other  persons,  my  notions  of  steam- 
ship accommodation  had  been  somewhat  formed  from  the  pictorial 
representations  exhibited  in  agents'  offices,  and  from  the  highly 
coloured  pictures  of  the  comforts  of  a  life  at  sea  drawn  by  ex- 
perienced voyagers,  who,  having  frequently  made  the  voyage,  had 
lost  their  sense  of  the  disagreeables  in  their  appreciation  of  the  beau- 
ties which  it  opened  to  their  view,  and  in  the  health  which  it  imparted 
to  their  frame.  But  it  was  only  at  first  that  the  dispelling  of  the 
delusion  left  a  feeling  of  disappointment.  Ere  Porto  Santo  was 
announced  to  be  in  sight,  (although  nothing  more  than  a  seeming 
cloud  was  at  first  visible,)  I  had  become  perfectly  reconciled  to  ray 
cabin  home,  and  quite  prepared  to  vindicate  its  spaciousness,  salubrity, 
and  convenience,  against  the  sneers  of  any  Exquisite  who  might 
erroneously  imagine  an  extensive  bedroom  and  separate  dressing- 
closet  among  the  essentials  of  human  happiness.  But  to  begin  at 
the  beginning. 

It  was  on  a  miserably  wet  cold  morning,  in  the  very  beginning  of 
the  month  of  January  1849,  that,  after  bidding  a  fond  farewell  to 
those  near  and  dear  to  me,  I  started  from  the  commercial  metropolis 
of  Scotland,  par  rail,  to  London.  My  spirits  were  in  keeping  with 
the  weather.     Indeed,  I  envy  not  the  man  who,  whatever  his  pros- 


16 


LEAVING  ENGLAND. 


pects  of  enjoyment  may  be,  can  leave  his  native  land  and  a  happj 
Lome  for  a  far-olF  country,  ■without  deep  and  painful  feelings  of  re- 
luctance and  regret.     When,  therefore,  I  started  on  my  journeyings, 
I  was  not  much  in  the  vein  for  "  pencillings  by  the  way/'  and,  ever 
had  it  been  otherwise,  the  journey  from  Glasgow  to  London  is  too 
well  known,  and  (thanks  to  the  excellence  of  our  railways)  too 
rapidly  travelled,  to  require,  or  indeed  to  justify,  any  descriptive  re- 
marks other  than  those  of  the  Guide  Books.     The  only  thing  that 
occurs  to  me  to  note,  is  the  rapidity  with  which  the  transit  is  now 
effected.     Eleven   o'clock  at  night  found  me  in  London,  having 
travelled  the  four  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  or  thereby,  in  twelve 
and  a  half  hours.     Similar  remarks  apply  to  the  journey  from  Lon- 
don to  Southampton,  performed  on  the  afternoon  of  the  immediately 
succeeding  day.     At  the  end  of  this  trip,  I  bade  farewell,  for  a  time, 
to  English  .ail ways,  not  then  knowing,  that  notwithstanding  all  the 
vaunting  of  our  Transatlantic  friends,  I  was  not  tO  see  anything  of 
the  kind — anything  like  them,  or  half  so  good,  so  swift,  so  comfort- 
able, or  so  safe — till  I  should  again  put  foot  in  old  England.     At 
Southampton  I  sojourned  at  the  Dolphin  Hotel;  and  as  I  perceive 
it  is  the  good  custom  of  more  experienced  tourists  to  record  for  the 
guidance  and  benefit  of  their  "  successors  in  office,"  the  hostelries  in 
which  comforts  and  condiments  are  to^be  found,  I  here  pledge  mj 
veracity  to  tlic  fact  that  the  Dolphin  Hotel  in  Southampton — albeit 
that,  during  my  sojourn  there,  the  weather  was  bitterly  cold,  and  that 
the  house  is  more  adapted  for  a  summer  than  a  winter  residence — is 
a  hostelry  of  exceeding  comfort  and  excellent  cooking.     In  South- 
ampton and  the  neighbourhood  are  to  bo  seen  various  objects  and 
institutions  of  interest  and  attraction,  which  will  amply  repay  a  visit, 
but,  as  they  are  fully  chronicled  in  Mr.  Osborne's  book,  and  in  other 
Guide  Books,  and  as  my  stay  in  Southampton  was  but  brief,  I  will 
leave  those  to  other  pens,  and  proceed  at  once  on  board  the  good  ship 
Great  Western,  which  was  to  convey  me  to  Madeira,  en  route  for  the 
West  Indies.     The  Great  Western  lay  out  at  anchor  in  the  middle 
of  the  arm  of  the  sea,  termed  (on  the  same  lucus  a  non  lucendo 


principle)  Southampton  river;  and  we  reached  it  by  a  miserable 
small  steamer,  which  conveyed  the  passengers,  with  the  small  lug- 
gage of  the  general  body,  and  the  whole  luggage  of  the  favoured 
few,  on  board  The  Ship — the  heavier  luggage  of  those  not  in 
the  secret  having  been  sent  before,  at  their  expense^  in  sailing 
boats,  after  they  had  been  again  and  again  told  that,  on  no 
account  whatever,  would  heavy  luggage  be  permitted  on  board  the 
Tender  steam-boat.  But  this  is  not  the  only  instance  in  which  I  have 
found  alleged  impossibilities  give  way  before  favouritism  or  influence. 
I  was  accompanied  on  board  by  two  good  friends,  who  had  kindly 
resolved  not  to  part  from  me  till  the  last.    The  day  was  cold  and 


wet, 

[not  c( 
[elude 
in  a 
forme 
from 
the  la 
descri 
reachi 
almos 
dresse 
all 

every 
had  I 
of  coi 

callini 

I  ready 

which 

I  a  hast 

we  W( 

strain 

come 

like  a 

enoug 

Butl 

even  i 

were 

book, 

'   few  w 

quite 

abode 

*  some^ 

To  re 

and  ! 

taken 

sonali 

frienc 

salooi 

day,: 

pitch; 

me  ( 

prept 

to,  tl 

neceg 


!      llW 


LEAVING  ENGLAND. 


17 


land  and  a  happj 
Fill  feelings  of  re- 
I  my  journeyings, 
!  way;"  and,  even 
!;o  London  is  too 
)ur  railways)  too 
ny  descriptive  re- 
e  only  thing  that 
le  transit  is  now 
London,  having 
hereby,  in  twelve 
)urnoy  from  Lon- 
the  immediately 
•ewell,  for  a  time, 
istanding  all  the 
see  anything  of 
swift,  so  comfort- 
Id  England.  At 
nd  as  I  perceive 
to  record  for  the 
'  the  hostelries  in 
here  pledge  mj 
hampton — albeit 
ly  cold,  and  that 
;er  residence — is 
;ing.  In  South- 
ious  objects  and 
ply  repay  a  visit, 
3ok,  and  in  other 
but  brief,  I  will 
ird  the  good  ship 
,  en  route  for  the 
>r  in  the  middle 
a  non  lucendo 
by  a  miserable 

the  small  lug- 
of  the  favoured 

those  not  in 
lewse,  in  sailing 

that,    on    no 

on  board  the 
in  which  I  have 
sm  or  influence, 
vho  had  kindly 
ly  was  cold  and 


wet,  and  the  sea  rough.  The  cabin  of  the  small  steamboat  could 
not  contain  the  one-fourth  of  our  number.  We  formed,  friends  in- 
cluded, a  party  greatly  exceeding  a  hundred ;  and,  being  enshrouded 
in  a  multifarious  variety  of  pea-jackets,  cloaks,  and  water-proofs,  we 
formed  a  group  so  unpicturesque  and  unattractive,  that  it  is  only 
from  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  superior  claims,  in  these  respects,  of 
the  larger  world  we  found  on  board  the  Great  Western,  that  I  waive 
description  of  the  minor  scene,  and  proceed  to  the  larger  one.  On 
reaching  the  steamship,  we  encountered  a  scene  of  confusion  which 
almost  baflies  description.  Passengers  of  every  variety  of  tongue, 
dressed  in  costume  of  eve^y  variety  of  colours,  with  hats  of 
all  imaginable  shapes,  colours,  and  kinds  —  running  about  in 
^very  direction,  and  poking  their  heads  into  places  where  they 
had  no  business  to  be,  in  their  attempts  to  secure  preferences 
of  conveniences  for  themselves,  and  to  vindicate  possession  of  their 
luggage :  to  this  add  the  noises  of  the  live  stock,  the  tramplings  and 
callings  attending  the  getting  in  of  the  cargo  and  getting  the  ship 
ready  for  sea,  and  you  may  have,  reader,  some  idea  of  the  confusion 
which  attends  the  getting  underweigh  for  a  foreign  voyage.  After 
a  hasty  but  handsome  luncheon,  which  was  on  the  saloon  table  when 
we  went  on  board,  and  to  which  we  were  invited  by  the  national 
strain  "  The  roast  beef  of  Old  England,"  our  friends  said  the  unwel- 
come "  farewell,"  and  left  us  to  our  meditations,  as  the  noble  ship, 
like  a  thing  of  life,  panted  forth  upon  her  voyage.  Mine  were  dull 
enough,  and  I  am  not  ashamed  to  acknowledg  5  that  they  were  so. 
But  I  was  roused  from  them  by  a  somewhat  ludicrous  incident,  which, 
even  at  the  risk  of  having  my  wisdom  impugned,  I  shall  here  record 
were  it  only  for  the  warning  of  such  travellers  as  may  peruse  my 
book,  and  contemplate  a  similar  trip.  Like  most  persons,  save  the 
few  who  prefer  ship-board  to  terra  firma,  and  think  "  state  rooms" 
quite  roomy  and  airy,  I  thought  the  closet,  which  was  to  be  my 
abode  probably  for  the  next  three  weeks,  or  perchance  longer,  was 
somewhat  dark,  and  had  somewhat  of  a  close  and  confined  odour. 
To  remedy  this,  I  had  opened  the  port-hole ;  and  having  done  so, 
and  seen  my  luggage  deposited  within,  I  had  locked  the  door  and 
taken  the  key  with  me,  to  prevent  any  interference  with  my  "  per- 
sonals," till  after  the  ship  should  sail.  Thereafter,  and  when  my 
friends  had  left  me,  I  lay  down  on  a  sofa  in  the  afterpart  of  the 
saloon.  There,  exhausted  by  my  feelings,  and  the  turmoil  of  the 
day,  I  fell  asleep,  and  did  not  waken  for  some  hours,  or  till  the 
pitching  of  the  vessel,  after  she  had  passed  the  "  Needles,"  roused 
me  effectually.  Then  I  sought  my  so-called  berth,  in  every  way 
prepared  to  acknowledge  that,  in  the  state  I  felt  myself  approaching 
to,  the  recumbent  position  was  the  most  natural,  if  not  the  most 
necessary.     But,  alas !  the  same  sea  which  aroused  me  from  my 

2* 


18 


SHIP  COMFORTS. 


Ill 


II  III! 


I 


i; ' 


slumbers,  had  washed  through  the  open  port  of  ray  state-room,  satu- 
rated my  bed  and  bed-clothes,  and  had  sent  the  different  articles  of 
my  apparelling  to  intricate  corners  of  the  confined  space.  Occurring, 
as  this  did,  on  a  wet  night,  at  ten  o'clock,  and  when  starting  in  a 
somewhat  invalided  state  on  a  long  voyage,  it  was  unpleasant  enough. 
But  the  necessities  of  the  case  roused  me  from  my  melancholy  mus- 
ings, better,  probably,  than  more  comfortable  circumstances  would 
have  done  j  and,  notwithstanding  the  first  declaration  of  the  steward- 
assistant,  that,  the  vessel  being  full,  there  were  no  more  spare  mat- 
tresses or  bed-clothes  to  be  had  that  night,  I  succeeded  in  a  few 
hours,  by  the  exercise  of  persuasion  and  the  influence  of  a  somewhat 
more  potent  power,  in  having  things  put  to  rights,  and  retired  to 
rest — agreeably  surprised  to  find  that,  although  the  pitching  of  the 
ship  had  increased,  my  incipient  tendency  to  sea-sickness  had  nearly 
disappeared.  This,  however,  is  not  the  only  instance  in  which  I 
have  found  that  over-exertion  was  the  best  cure  for  the  malade  du 
mer. 

While  mentioning  the  stewards  of  the  ship,  I  deem  it  not  out  of 
place,  and  likely  to  be  useful,  to  mention  here  the  fact  that,  on  the 
occasion  of  this  voyage,  formal  and  written  complaint  was  made  by 
the  passengers  of  the  inattention  and  inefl&ciency  of  the  stewards, 
particularly  at  the  outset  of  the  voyage ;  and  this  I  think  a  matter 
peculiarly  worthy  the  attention  of  this  "West  Indian  Steam-Packet 
Company.  For  many  and  obvious  reasons,  some  of  which  will  appear 
in  the  course  of  my  narration,  this  is  a  route  which  is  likely  to  be- 
come a  favourite  one  for  and  with  invalids.  At  all  events  it  will 
probably  become  so,  if  proper  attention  is  paid  to  their  comfort  and 
safety  during  and  for  the  voyage.  The  ad  nntages  of  sea  voyages 
for  the  cure  of  dyspeptics,  and  the  beneficir.  -  results  likely  to  accrue 
from  such  voyages  in  the  incipient  stages  of  pulmonary  complaints, 
arc  beginning  to  attract  much  more  attention  than  had  been  given 
to  them  formerly;  and  the  advantages  of  a  West  Indian  voyage,  now 
that  steam  has  made  its  direction  and  duration  matters  of  certainty, 
consists  mainly  in  this — that  the  medical  adviser,  who  recommends 
it  as  a  sanitary  measure,  can  calculate  on  his  patient  being  in  the 
midst  of  bright  skies  and  balmy  breezes  within  five  or  six  days  after 
leaving  England,  and  this  whatever  may  be  the  period  of  the  year  at 
which  the  voyage  is  adventured  on.  But  the  transition  from  the 
conveniences  and  comforts  usually  possessed  by  an  invalid  at  home, 
to  the  capabilities  of  the  six  or  eight  feet  square  called  a  state  room 
on  board  a  ship,  is,  under  any  circumstances,  a  great  and  a  harsh 
one.  So  great  and  so  harsh  that,  unless  preventive  measures  can  be 
taken,  there  is  some  chance  of  the  debilitated  patient  suffering  more 
injury  from  the  confinement,  damp,  and  closeness  of  the  ship,  than 
he  or  she  reaps  benefit  from  the  improvement  of  the  climate.     This 


so 
|hat  ai 
%ue,  a] 
«^e  in 
fiscom 
ly  son 
ihcse 
Ind,  m 
fervan 

fation. 
ess  ai 
plaint 
the  ser 
ance  ai 
fet,  bei 
^lottost  ri 
%ers,  il 
%i  this 
'^tewari 
bailing 
Iwere  c 
^^teame 
jtion;  i 
|munic£ 
Jobviou 
suflBcie 
several 
«T1 
for  18 
Grace 
80  far 
Mr.  Ti 
sailed 
of  the 
was  tl: 
I  an  isl 
\  could 
I  scene 
I  the  in 
\  racter 
;  melan 
%      On 
say  fo 
exten 
the  h' 


:itl 


AT  SEA. 


19 


state-room,  satu- 
Fcrent  articles  of 
ice.  Occurring, 
ben  starting  in  a 
pleasant  enough, 
nelancholy  mus- 
imstances  would 
I  of  the  steward- 
more  spare  mat- 
cceeded  in  a  few 
e  of  a  somewhat 
!,  and  retired  to 
pitching  of  the 
mess  had  nearly 
ace  in  which  I 
'  the  malade  du 

em  it  not  out  of 
fact  that,  on  the 
nt  was  made  by 
f  the  stewards, 
think  a  matter 
Q  Steam-Packet 
hich  will  appear 
I  is  likely  to  be- 
lli events  it  will 
leir  comfort  and 
of  sea  voyages 
likely  to  accrue 
ary  complaints, 
had  been  given 
ian  voyage,  now 
rs  of  certainty, 
ho  recommends 
nt  being  in  the 
r  six  days  after 
i  of  the  year  at 
ition  from  the 
ivalid  at  home, 
Bd  a  state  room 
b  and  a  harsh 
leasures  can  be 
suflTering  more 
the  ship,  than 
climate.     This 


^  so  plainly  true,  and  so  oft  confirmed  by  melancholy  experience, 
|hat  argument  to  prove  it  wore  a  mere  waste  of  time;  and  it  is  alao 
'ue,  and  obviously  true,  that  it  is  at  the  outset  of  a  sea  voyage  that 
le  invalid  traveller,  and  indeed  any  traveller,  is  most  alive  to  the 
liscomforts  of  a  ship,  and  is  consequently  most  likely  to  be  benefited 
ly  some  degree  of  extra  attention.     It  is  however  to  be  feared,  that 
|hese  facts  sometimes  escape  the  attention  of  steamboat  directors ', 
*|nd,  most  assuredly,  the  written  complaints,  of  the  inattention  of  the 
Jervants,  made  on  the  occasion  of  this  voyage,  were  not  without  foun- 
lation.  In  every  other  respect,  and  particularly  as  regards  the  polite- 
less  and  consideration  evinced  by  the  captain  and  ofiicers,  no  com- 
tlaint  could  be  made,  and  no  complaint  was  made.     But  as  regards 
the  servants,  and  particularly  at  the  outset  of  he  voyage,  the  attend- 
ance and  attention  were  anything  but  satisfactory.     I  say  at  the  out- 
let, because,  while  it  was  then  that  consideration  and  attention  were 
iost  required,  and  would  have  been  most  appreciated  by  the  passen- 
;ers,  it  was  then  that  the  want  of  it  was  most  displayed :  the  reason 
»f  this  being,  as  I  was  afterwards  informed,  that  the  majority  of  the 
Steward's  assistants  had  been  engaged  only  a  few  days  before  the 
jailing  of  the  ship  j  so  that,  at  the  commencement  of  the  voyage,  they 
Iwere  comparatively  new  to  their  work,  to  each  other,  and  to  the 
leteamer.     This,  however,  is  plainly  an  explanation,  not  a  justifica- 
ftion ;  and  it  is  only  now  mentioned,  because  it  was  the  excuse  com- 
imunicated  to  my  fellow-passengers  and  to  myself.     It  is  sufficiently 
lobvious  that  arrangements  might  be  made  for  the  attendance  of  a 
I  sufficient  corps  of  stewards  to  accompany  each  successive  ship  on 
I  several  voyages. 

"  That  man  is  to  be  pitied,"  says  Mr.  Turner  in  his  annual  tour 

I  for  1844,  "who  has  never  sailed  from  Southampton  to  Havre  de 

Grace;"  and  although  I  cannot  carry  my  feelings  of  commiseration 

so  far  as  to  embrace  all  mankind,  save  such  as  are  not  included  in 

Mr.  Turner's  remark,  I  can  safely  affirm,  that  he  or  she  who  has  not 

sailed  from  Southampton  on  a  foreign  voyage,  has  something  to  see 

of  the  beauties  of  Old  England.     Comparatively  disadvantageous  as 

was  the  day  when  I  sailed  past  and  away  from  the  Isle  of  Wight — 

I  an  island  with  much  justice  called  the  "  Garden  of  England" — I 

'■{  could  not  fail  to  observe  the  many  elements  of  beauty  which  the 

I  scene  possesses ;  or  to  perceive  that,  on  a  fine  clear  day,  and  under 

I  the  influence  of  a  summer  sun,  it  must  in  every  way  merit  the  cha- 

I  racter  as  being  a  scene  calculated  to  "  rejoice  the  gay,  soothe  the 

I  melancholy,  and  even  warm  the  indifierent." 

I  On  reaching  deck  next  morning,  I  faund  myself^  I  may  almost 
I  say  for  the  first  time  in  my  life,  (a  Channel  voyage  having  been  the 
I  extent  of  my  previous  experience)  "  at  sea."  Before,  behind,  around, 
the  heavens  and  earth  were  only  separated  by  the  line  of  the  natural 


20 


FELLOW-PASSENGERS. 


H^i 


Lorizon,  and  tho  ship  in  which  I  was  formed  the  centre  of  the  visibl- 
world. 

It  has  been  often  enough  remarked,  that  a  sea  voyage  affords  bu 
few  events  or  incidents  to  chronicle,  for  the  interest  of  tho  genera, 
reader;  and  this  one  certainly  formed  no  exception  to  the  rule 
"  Sometimes  we  see  a  ship,  sometimes  we  ship  a  sea ;"  while  occa 
sionally  the  announcement  of  a  ship  in  sight,  caused  a  very  unusua. 
degree  of  excitement  among  the  passengers  who  might  happen  to  h 
on  deck — all  and  each  left  their  perusal  of  Macaulay's  History  oj 
EngJandy  (then  recently  published,  and  of  which,  to  the  credit  oi 
the  party,  we  had  at  least  some  dozen  copies  on  board  and  in  mud 
request,)  and  their  various  occupations.  Telescopes  were  had  on  re 
quisition,  and  the  utmost  anxiety  was  displayed  to  ascertain  the  im 
portant  facts  of  whether  the  vessel  was  the  "  3Iaria"  or  the  "  Janet,' 
the  "Kuby"  or  the  "Pearl" — was  laden  with  "fruit"  or  with  "tim- 
ber" was  bound  for  London  or  Liverpool.  Such  occasional  occur- 
rences, with  the  somewhat  amusing  occupation  (to  those  who,  like 
myself,  had  overcome  the  demon  of  sea-sickness  at  an  early  period  of 
the  voyage)  of  observing  the  gradual  increase  of  the  number  of  pro- 
menaders  on  deck,  and  the  gradual  improvement  in  the  external  ap- 
pearance of  each,  generally  supply  sufficient  excitement  for  tho  first 
few  days  after  the  vessel  gets  to  sea. 

As  seen  when,  or  soon  after,  the  ship  leaves  the  port  of  departure, 
one's  fellow-passengers  generally  appear  under  a  very  monotonous, 
and  perhaps  not  very  inviting  aspect ;  and  literally,  as  well  as  figura- 
tively, it  may  be  said  that  it  is  not  for  some  days  that  the  various 
members  cpnstituting  the  "living  freight"  appear  under  their  proper 
coheirs. 

As  regards  my  fellow-voyagers,  on  the  occasion  in  question,  I  am 
bound  to  acknowledge  that  I  was  peculiarly  fortunate.  For  although 
their  number  exceeded  a  hundred,  and  although  there  was  among  so 
many  as  great  a  variety  of  minds  and  of  manner  as  there  unquestion- 
ably, as  well  as  amusingly,  was  of  hats,  caps,  coats,  and  mustaches — 
(strange  that  so  many  Englishmen,  when  going  abroad,  should  think 
of  disfiguring  their  physiognomies  with  the  unnational  mustache) — 
there  were  none  among  their  number  of  peculiarly  ill-regulated 
minds  or  ofiensive  habits  j  and  there  were  several  among  them  of 
whose  elegance,  talents,  and  general  acceptability,  I  shall  ever  retain 
a  most  grateful  recollection.  Having  always  regarded  the  un- 
authorised introduction  of  individual  names,  and  of  scenes  of  private 
life,  into  narratives  of  travel,  as  an  act  much  to  be  reprobated,  it 
were  a  violation  of  my  own  views  of  propriety  were  I  here  to  men- 
tion the  names  of  any  of  my  fellow-voyagers.  But,  without  the 
chance  of  offending  even  the  most  fastidious  feelings  of  any  of  them, 
(should  this  work  come  under  their  observation^)  I  may  mention 


0 


Ithat, 
and  h 
*Vctire 
tnthu 
tor, 
iture— 
jtions- 
Ibvenii 
voyj 
four 
)revei 
It 
'South 
;which 
Iras, 
loing 
lavigJ 
toldb 
fa  part 
fwas  w 
lAgain 
Iclearl; 
I  her  C( 
1  northc 
tion  I 
were  i 
of  the 
Bu 
the  at 
ance  < 
sation 
mast-] 
pause 
write 
uneve 
movii 
In  a : 
paddl 
ingc; 
hollo' 
the  ti 
In  m 
iutcri 
W 
casili 


1 


MADERIA. 


21 


intre  of  the  visibli 

iroyage  affords  bu 
est  of  the  genera 
tion  to  the  rule 
lea;"  while  occa 
ed  a  very  unusua. 
ight  happen  to  be 
ulay's  History  oj 
f  to  the  credit  ol 
}ard  and  in  mucli 
s  were  had  on  re 
ascertain  the  im 
'  or  the  "  Janet/ 
it"  or  with  "  tim- 
occasional  occur- 
3  those  who,  like 
in  early  period  of 
J  number  of  pro- 
I  the  external  ap- 
nent  for  the  fii-st 

ort  of  departure, 
ery  monotonous, 
IS  well  as  figura- 
that  the  various 
ider  their  proper 

1  question,  I  am 
e.  For  although 
e  was  among  so 
lere  unquestion- 
od  mustaches — 
id,  should  think 
al  mustache) — 
*ly  ill-regulated 
imong  them  of 
hall  ever  retain 
;arded  the  un- 
;enes  of  private 
s  reprobated,  it 
I  here  to  men- 
it,  without  the 
)f  any  of  them, 
'.  may  mention 


%hat,  in  the  persons  of  a  governor  going  to  his  scat  of  government, 
and  his  lady — of  a  British  consul  and  his  graceful  daughter— of  a 
Retired  cavalry  officer,  now,  alas !  no  more — of  on  accomplished  and 
Enthusiastic  West  Indian  planter  and  proprietor — of  a  talented  doc- 
tor, of  fame  as  a  writer  on  the  important  subject  of  tropical  agricul- 
ture — and  of  some  other  gentlemen  of  varied  talents  and  occupa- 
ions — ^I  found  as  pleasant  a  party,  for  morning  promenading  and 
ievening  amusements,  as  I  ever  expect  to  find  for,  or  in  the  course  of, 
voyage  across  the  broad  Atlantic.  Here,  as  on  all  other  occasions, 
found  that  a  desire  to  please^  and  to  be  pleased,  was  a  valuable 
reventive  of  tedium  and  ennui. 

It  was  not  till  the  forenoon  of  the  seventh  day  after  leaving 
■Southampton  that  we  came  in  sight  of  the  island  of  Porto  Santo, 
iwhich  forms  the  most  northerly  of  the  group  constituting  the  Madei- 
ras. I  was  peculiarly  struck  with  two  circumstances  attending  our 
oing  so.  In  the  first  place,  the  precision  and  certainty  of  steam 
avigation  properly  conducted.  On  the  day  previous,  I  had  been 
old  by  the  first  officer  of  the  ship  that  we  would  see  Porto  Santo  at 
particular  hour  of  the  following  day,  and  the  time  of  first  seeing  it 
as  within  a  quarter  of  an  hour  of  the  time  he  had  mentioned. 
Again,  when  first  seen  from  the  ship,  the  land  of  Porto  Santo  lay  so 
!  clearly  in  front  that  it  seemed  that,  had  the  vessel  held  straight  on 
fher  course,  she  would  have  struck  nearly  about  midway  on  the 
northern  coast  of  the  island.  While,  on  calculating  the  ship's  posi- 
tion by  the  different  chronometers,  and  by  dead  reckoning,  there 
were  not  above  two  or  three  miles  of  difference  between  the  extremes 
of  the  whole.     This  surely  is  as  singular  as  it  is  satisfacfcry. 

But  the  next  subject  of  my  remark  is  one  more  certain  to  attract 
i  the  attention  of  other  travellers  by  sea — it  being  the  singular  appear- 
i  ance  of  land  when  first  seen,  and  the  refreshing  and  inspiriting  sen- 
I  sations  which  the  sight  inspires.  When  land  is  announced  from  the 
I  mast-head,  even  to  the  most  experienced  eye  all  seems  but  one  ex- 
panse of  sea  and  sky,  bathed,  it  may  be,  (as  it  was  in  the  case  I 
-  write  of,)  in  the  rays  of  an  almost  tropical  sun.  Shortly  a  cloud,  or 
;  uneven  darkness,  gathers  on  the  boundary  of  the  ocean,  occasionally 
1  moving,  or  seeming  to  move,  or  sometimes  disappearing  altogether. 
I  In  a  few  minutes  the  darkness  becomes  more  dense,  and  after  the 
i  paddle-wheels  have  made  a  few  hundred  more  revolutions,  the  seem- 
f  ing  cloud  settles,  and  becomes  permanent  and  defined.  Heights  and 
i  hollows  first  appear ;  then  colours  develop  themselves;  and  at  last 
j  the  traveller  is  voyaging  with  the  first  sight  of  foreign  land  in  view. 
In  my  case,  this  first  seen  land  was  the  island  of  Porto  Santo,  only 
interesting  from  its  forming  one  of  the  Madeiras. 

Was  Madeira  known  to  the  ancients  ?  is  a  question  much  more 
easily  asked  than  answered;  and  one  which,  in  my  case,  formed  the 


22 


BARBADOES. 


Ill 


!  i 


II         I 


Bubject  of  a  good  deal  of  amusing  discussion  among  tlie  pleasant 
party  assembled  on  board  the  Great  "Western  on  the  voyage  in  ques- 
tion. The  discussion,  however,  was  carried  on  more  for  the  sake  of 
seeing  what  could  be  said  on  the  affirmative  of  the  question  than  for 
any  other  reason  j  for  I  fear  that  there  is  but  little  direct  evidence 
of  any  kind  tending  to  encourage  the  idea  that  this  beautiful  group, 
composed  of  Madeira,  Porto  Santo,  and  the  Deserters,  (query  "  de- 
serted,") however  appositely  situated  for  discovery  by  the  Car- 
thaginians and  other  voyagers  of  ancient  times,  were  revealed  lo  the 
world  until  their  discovery  by  a  long-named  Portuguese  in  1419. 
There  is  a  story  of  their  prior  discovery  by  an  Englishman  named 
Mackin,  and,  were  the  position  defensible,  one's  amor  patrice  might 
dispose  him  to  maintain  the  truth  of  this  statement.  But  the  now 
universal  conviction  is,  that  it  is  wholly  fabulous,  and  that  Portugal 
has  the  honour  of  giving  birth  to  the  discoverer  of  these  balmy 
islands — this  Jlor  d'oceanoj  as  the  Portuguese  themselves  term  the 
chief  island  of  the  group.  If,  however,  the  island  of  Madeira  did 
not  form  the  insula  foriunata  of  the  ancient  world — if  that  honour 
is  to  be  given  either  to  one  of  the  Canaries  or  to  one  of  the  Azores—  - 
it  surely  was  because  Madeira  was  unknown.  For,  if  half  that  has 
been  written  of  it  be  true,  there  is  much  justice  in  the  remark  of  the 
enthusiastic  Coleridge,  that  "  if  the  ancients  had  known  Madeira,  it 
would  have  been  their  pJusquam  fortunata  insula;  and  the  blessed 
spirits  of  the  Gentiles,  afLr  a  millennium  of  probationary  enjoyment 
in  the  Canaries,  would  have  been  translated  thither  to  live  for  ever 
on  nectar  and  oranges." 

The  existence  of  a  quarantine,  on  account  of  the  then  prevalence 
of  cholera  in  England,  prevented  our  landing  at  Madeira.  Although, 
therefore,  we  lay  in  the  Bay  of  Funchal  for  nearly  twenty-four  hours, 
I  am  prevented  from  saying  more  of  this  Island  of  the  Blessed,  than 
that  it  has  a  very  picturesque  as  well  as  a  very  volcanic  appearance; 
and  that  its  capital,  Funchal,  although  neither  so  fine  nor  so  large 
as  I  was  led  by  descriptive  accounts  to  believe,  it  had  a  gay,  and, 
from  the  roadstead,  a  clean  appearance. 

On  bidding  adieu  to  Madeira,  we  again  emerged  into  the  open  sea, 
and  steamed  our  onward  voyage  across  the  broad  Atlantic,  on  the 
course  most  probably  pursued  by  the  great  Columbus  and  his  gallant 
companions  in  1491,  towards  the  island  of  Barbadoes — the  first  of 
the  West  India  group  at  which  these  steamers  touch — and  the  one  at 
which  (for  the  present)  the  mails  are  interchanged. 

For  at  least  two  days  before  reaching  Madeira,  I  had  felt  a  sensible 
and  gradual  increase  in  the  warmth  of  the  atmosphere;  and  after 
leaving  that  "  flower  of  the  ocean,"  the  increase  of  the  temperature 
was  still  more  sensible.  The  lines  of  William  Meyrick  aptly  de- 
scribe the  appearance : — 


' 


i  ' 


linii! 


)ng  tlie  pleasant 
voyage  in  ques- 
J  for  the  sake  of 
uestion  than  for 
direct  evidence 
beautiful  group, 
rs,  (query  "  de- 
ry  by  the   Car- 
revealed  lo  the 
uguese  in  1419. 
iishman  named 
or  patrice  might 
But  the  now 
id  that  Portugal 
of  these  balmy 
selves  term  the 
of  Madeira  did 
-if  that  honour 
Df  the  Azores—  - 
f  half  that  has 
e  remark  of  the 
3wn  Madeira,  it 
md  the  blessed 
nary  enjoyment 
to  live  for  ever 

hen  prevalence 
3ira.  Although, 
mty-four  hours, 
le  Blessed,  than 
nic  appearance; 
le  nor  so  large 
ad  a  gay,  and,   ; 

to  the  open  sea,    ; 
itlantic,  on  the 
and  his  gallant 
!S — the  first  of 
-and  the  one  at 


I  felt  a  sensible 
I  ere;  and  after 
le  temperature 
Tick  aptly  de- 


BARBADOES.  23 

'•  See  at  length  tli'  indulgent  gales 
Gently  fill  our  swelling  sails. 
Swiftly,  through  the  foamy  sea, 
Shoots  our  vessel  gallantly  ; 
Still  approaching,  as  she  ilies, 
Wanner  suns  and  brighter  skies." 

After  the  usual  experiences  of  observing  such  signs  of  the  ap- 

roaching  tropics  as  the  gulf-weed,  flying  fish,  sharks,  and  dolphins; 

nd  after  entering  the  tropics,  and  gradually  divesting  ourselves  of 

ur  European  garments,  and  substituting  dress  of  much  more  suita- 

Je  texture  and  lightness,  we  reached  Barbadoes  on  the  eleventh  day 

after  sailing  from  Madeira. 

Land  had  been  announced  ere  I  reached  the  deck,  about  seven 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  the  island  was  darkly  visible  when  I 
first  saw  it.  A  short  time,  however,  sufficed  to  define  its  outline ; 
and  in  a  few  hours  the  ship  came  to  anchor  in  Carlisle  Bay,  then 
filled  with  a  number  of  vessels,  including  her  Majesty's  line-of-battle 
ship  the  Wellesley,  then  carrying  the  flag  of  Admiral  Lord  Dun- 
donald. 

This  being  my  introduction  to  tropical  scenery,  and  the  view  of 
the  town  of  Bridgetown  from  Carlisle  Bay  being  a  scene  of  much 
picturesque  beauty,  I  was  greatly  and  agreeably  struck  by  the  view 
[which  stretched  itself  before  me  on  reaching  the  deck  of  the  steam- 
ship. Carlisle  Bay,  Barbadoes,  forms  a  curve  of  two  miles  or  so, 
and  the  town  of  Bridgetown  extends  along  it  from  point  to  point ; 
the  white  houses  of  which  the  town  is  composed  bemg  freely  inter- 
mingled with  gigantic  palm-trees,  and  other  trees  of  tropical  produc- 
tion ;  and  the  trees,  flowers,  and  shrubs  so  totally  different  from,  and 
at  this  distance  so  much  more  efiective  and  beautiful  than  those  of 
Europe,  made,  from  mere  novelty  as  well  as  beauty,  a  powerful  im- 
pression on  my  mind.  Nor  was  the  feeling  lessened  on  reaching  the 
shore.  The  luxuriant  vigour  of  the  trees  and  shrubs,  many  of  which 
I  had  never  previously  seen,  save  as  the  stunted  or  sickly  exotics  of 
an  English  conservatory,  with  the  variety  of  the  black  and  brown 
faces  of  the  population,  kept  constantly  impressed  upon  my  mind 
the  fact  that  I  was  now  in  a  very  different  region  from  the  realms  of 
the  north. 

BARBADOES, 

The  easternmost  of  the  "Windward  Islands,  and  the  scene  of  Addi- 
son's touching  story  of  "  Inkle  and  Yarico,"  lies  between  59°  50', 
and  60°  2',  of  west  longitude,  and  12°  56'  and  13°  16'  of  north 
latitude.  The  length  of  the  island  from  north  to  south  is  twenty- 
five  miles,  and  its  breadth  from  east  to  west  is  about  fifteen  or  six- 
teen miles.     Its  superficial  contents  are  estimated  at  somewhere 


24 


BARBADOES. 


it     I 


lii! 


ti  I ' 


about  a  hundred  and  seven  thousand  acres,  and  its  present  popula- 
tion at  not  less  than  a  hundred  and  forty  thousand — a  population 
per  acre  larger,  and  more  dense,  than  is  to  be  found  in  any  other 
portion  of  th--  known  globe,  not  even  excepting  China.  For  reasons 
which  will  afterwards  appear,  this  density  of  population  has  opera- 
ted very  favourably  in,  partially  at  least,  protecting  Barbadoes  from 
the  effects  of  the  depreciating  influences  under  which  the  rest  of  the 
British  colonies  in  the  West  Indies  have  of  late  years  been  so  severely 
suffering. 

Although  my  stay  in  Barbadoes  was  short,  I  was  enabled,  through 
the  kindness  of  a  fellow-passenger — already  referred  to,  himself  a 
larg*^  proprietor  in  the  island,  and  one  generally  known,  particularly 
in  connf  .iion  vvith  his  writings  on  the  important  subject  of  tropical 
agriculture — and  of  other  friends,  to  see  much  of  the  island,  and  to 
much  advantage.  Of  the  many  scenes  I  visited,  that  from  Hackle- 
stone  Cliff  is  the  one  which  most  impressed  me,  and  of  which  I  feel 
it  expedient  to  make  piominent  mention  here.  Although  thia  cliff, 
(which  is  nearly  the  highest  elevation  in  the  island)  is  not  above 
eleven  hundred  feet  in  height,  it  commands  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful panoramic  views,  both  landward  and  seaward,  which  it  is  possi- 
ble for  the  mind  to  conceive.  Below  the  cliff,  that  part  of  the  island 
denominated  Scotland  (from  a  supposed  miniature  resemblance  to 
the  land  of  mountain  and  flood)  stretches  before  the  eye.  On  the 
right  is  a  long  line  of  sea-coast,  and  immediately  in  front  lies  a  tro- 
pical valley  of  exceeding  loveliness.  It  is  possible  that  it  was  be- 
cause my  visit  to  Hacklestone  Cliff,  and  the  scene  of  enchantment 
that  thence  opened  up  to  my  view,  formed  my  introduction,  so  to 
speak,  to  the  more  inland  scenery  of  the  tropics;  and  because  I  visi- 
ted it  in  the  society  of  four  valued  fellow-voyagers,  and  under  the 
guidance  of  a  kind  friend,  a  resident  proprietor  of  the  island,  that 
the  loveliness  of  the  view  rises  upon  my  mind  many  months 
afterwards — 

"  While  the  breeze  of  England  now 
Flings  rose-scents  on  my  aching  brow," 

with  a  freshness  of  pleasurable  sensation  which  does  not  attend  the 
recall  of  other  scenes,  of  even  greater  magnificence  and  grandeur. 
Such,  however,  is  the  fact ;  and  therefore  it  is  that  I  recall  and 
record  the  scene  with  a  lingering'  pleasure,  and  that  I  recommend 
to  every  visitor  to  Little  England,  (as  Barbadoes  is  oft-times 
called,)  not  to  leave  that  beauteous  island  without  paying  a  visit 
to  Hacklestone  Cliff.  If  the  day  },o  as  fine  as  that  I  enjoyed,  and 
he  or  she  be  as  fortunate  in  fellow-voyagers  and  a  cicerone  a«  I 
was,  the  result  will  bo  a  harvest  of  heartfelt  pleasure  and  satis- 
faction. 


I 


The 
alread 
friends 
the  ho 
cies  of 
West : 
unautl 
^and  an 
jtles" 
itakcn 
.'record 
:^descri{ 
|as  I  w 
)|  estate 
i     The 
I  genera 
iaucien 
las  it  is 
tplant  1 
Iby  Col 
Jof  froi 
^thickn( 
I  From  1 
canes  1 
Jlarly,  I 
i  water, 
IWest] 
into  th 
cess,  tc 
in  copj 
the  sue 
pan  or 
[these  0 
and  wl 
flation  ] 
Iwhcncc 
istand  i 
passes  \ 
sale. 
:     Sucl 
|sugar, 
iwhich 
seed,  b 
before 


BARBADOES. 


25 


jrcsent  popula- 
[ — a  population 
1  in  any  other 
I.  For  reasons 
tion  has  opera- 
krbadoes  from 
the  rest  of  the 
seen  so  severely 

labled,  through 
i  to,  himself  a 
vn,  particularly 
ject  of  tropical 
I  island,  and  to 
t  from  Hackle- 
of  which  I  feel 
ough  thia  cliff, 
)  is  not  above 
the  most  beau- 
hich  it  is  possi- 
,rt  of  the  island 
reseinblance  to 

eye.  On  the 
Tont  lies  a  tro- 
;hat  it  was  be- 
f  enchantment 
eduction,  so  to 

because  I  visi- 

and  under  the 
the  island,  that 

many  months 


not  attend  the 
and  grandeur. 

at  I  recall  and 

fc  I  recommend 
1  is  oft-times 
paying  a  visit 

I  enjoyed,  and 
cicerone  an  I 

urc  and  siitis- 


i 


There  too  it  was,  and  in  the  hospitable  mansion  of  the  gentleman 
already  referred  to,  that  myself,  and  the   English   and   Scotch 
friends  who  accompanied  me,  were  for  the  first  time  introduced  to 
the  hospitalities  of  the  West  Indies,  and  to  the  abundant  excellen- 
cies of  a  breakfast  and  dinner,  kc,  in  the  mansion  of  an  extensive 
"West  India  planter.     But  as  I  have  rather  an  abhorrence  of  the 
unauthorized  introduction  of  private  scenes  into  incidenls  of  travel, 
Jand  am  compelled  to  acknowledge  that  the  hospitalities  of  "  But- 
jtles  "  and  of  "  Clayberry  "  were  too  good  and  too  recherche  to  bo 
|taken  as  fair  specimens  of  West  Indian  establishments, — I  simply 
|record  the  fact  as  above  stated,  and  proceed  to  give  a  brief  popu  In  i 
|description  of  the  processes  of  sugar-growing  and  sugar-making, 
|as  I  witnessed  them  for  the  first  time  in  this  island,  and  on  the 
Restate  of  Drakeshall. 

]     The  origin  of  the  name,  and  the  history  of  the  sugar  cane,  is 
I  generally  given  as  follows  :  The  name  sugar  is  derived  from  its 
I  ancient  name  of  saccharum,  which,  being  corrupted  into  suci'a,  or 
las  it  is  in  Spanish  agucar,  gives  our  word  sugar.     Originally  the 
]plant  was  found  in  Asia,  and  it  was  introduced  into  the  West  Indies 
;by  Columbus  and  his  followers.     In  appearance,  it  is  a  jointed  reed 
lof  from  six  to  twelve,  or  even  fifteen  feet  high,  and  of  various 
thicknesses,  of  which  an  average  may  be  said  to  be  two  inches. 
I  From  the  expressed  juice  of  this  reed  is  the  sugar  derived,  the 
I  canes  being  passed  through  rollers,  placed  sometimes  perpendicu- 
ilarly,  but  more  frequently  horizontally,  and  driven  either  by  steam, 
[water,  horse,  or  mule  power,  but  much  more  frequently,  in  the 
West  Indies,  by  a  windmill.     The  expressed  juice  being  run  down 
into  the  boiling-house,  it  is  there — after  undergoing  a  certain  pro- 
cess, to  temper  and  cleanse  it — subjected  to  processes  of  skimming 
in  coppers,  or  other  pans,  the  heat  being  gradually  increased,  in 
the  successive  pans,  until  it  reaches  the  boiling  point  in  the  last 
pan  or  boiler  called  in  the  English  colonies,  "  The  Tcache."     By 
[these  operations  the  juice  is  cleansed,  and  the  water  evaporated  ; 
land  when  the  sugar  begins  to  granulate,  or  rather  when  the  granu- 
llation  has  proceeded  a  sufiicicnt  length,  it  is  poured  into  coolers — 
jwhence  it  is  removed  into  hogsheads,  in  which  it  is  allowed  to 
Istand  for  at  least  fourteen  days  or  three  weeks,  to  allow  the  nio- 
|lasscs  to  run  out  of  it :  after  ad  which  it  is  ready  for  shipment  and 
isale. 

*  Such  is  a  very  general  view  of  the  process  of  making  Muscovado 
|sugar,  as  it  is  usually  proctisjd  m  the  West  Indian  Islands  :  To 
|which  I  have  only  to  add,  tl  at  th"^  canes  are  propagated,  not  from 
jsecd,  but  from  the  top  of  the  old  plant,  which  top  is  struck  off 
[before  cutting  down  the  cane  to  remove  it  to  the  mill;  and  that 

3 


2G 


ST.  LUCIA. 


the  whole  process  is  a  much  simpler,  as  well  as  a  much  cleaner 
proceeding,  than  I  had  anticipated. 

In  Barbadoes,  besides  the  general  interest  to  be  found  in  the 
really  excellent  society  of  the  island,  there  are  many  objects  worthy 
of  a  visit,  and  which  will  gratify  the  traveller  who  has  reasonably 
good  introductions,  and  time  to  spare.  Among  these  may  be  men- 
tioned Codrington  College,  situated  on  the  confines  or  borders  of 
the  miniature  Scotland — a  stone  building  of  no  great  pretensions 
to  architectural  beauty,  but  capable  of  accommodating  nearly  one 
hundred  students,  although  now  attended  only  by  a  much  smaller 
number; — a  burning  spring,  which  emits  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
gas,  that  ignites  on  being  brought  into  contact  with  fire ; — and  an 
extraordinary  banyan  tree.  Of  the  two  last,  however,  I  can  only 
speak  from  the  report  of  others.  But  I  saw  enough  of  Little  Eng- 
land, and  of  its  hospitable  inhabitants,  during  my  too  brief  stay, 
to  make  me  wish  that  stay  had  been  longer,  and  to  satisfy  me  that 
even  a  long  residence  would  not  exhaust  the  many  sources  of 
interest  which  the  island  displays. 


CHAPTER  III. 


"  Bcaiitiful  Islands !  brief  the  time 
I  dwelt  beneath  your  awful  clime; 
Yet  oft  I  see,  in  noonday  dream, 
Your  glorious  stars  with  lunar  beam; 
And  oft  before  my  sight  arise 
Y'our  sky-lilie  seas — uud  sea-lilie  skies." 

llEMUY  Nelson  Coleridge. 

It  was  with  much  regret,  and  many  farewells,  that  I  parted 
with  my  friends  at  Barbadoes,  and  also  with  certain  of  my  fellow- 
voyagers  who  had  jciurneyed  with  me  so  far,  and  joined  the  steam- 
ship to  proceed  onward  through  the  Windward  and  Leeward 
islands.  But  sad  would  have  been  the  heart,  and  desponding  the 
disposition,  that  would  not  have  revelled  in  the  beauty  of  the 
scene,  or  felt  many  a  thrill  of  ecstasy,  on  sailing  through  the  sum- 
mer sea. 

After  leaving  Barbadoes,  a  sail  of  some  ten  or  eleven  hours 
biings  the  steamer  to  the  island  of 

ST.  LUCIA, 

Situated  in  north  latitude  30°14',  and  west  longitude  29°,  about 
twenty-three  miles  long  by  eleven  broad,  and  containing  a  popula- 
tion of  about  20,000  inhabitants. 


TROPICAL  NIGHTS. 


27 


much  cleaner 

3  found  in  the 
objects  worthy 
las  reasonably 
e  may  be  men- 
3  or  borders  of 
at  pretensions 
ng  nearly  one 
much  smaller 
tted  hydrogen 
fire  ; — and  an 
rer,  I  can  only 
of  Little  Eng- 
too  brief  stay, 
satisfy  me  that 
iny  sources  of 


ERIDQE. 


that  I  parted 
of  my  fellow- 
ned  the  steam- 
and  Leeward 
lesponding  the 
beauty  of  the 
'ough  the  sum- 

•  eleven  hours 


I 


ide  29°,  about 
ning  a  popula- 


The  island  of  St.  Lucia  is  volcanic  and  mountainous,  and,  as 
seen  from  the  sea,  the  aspect  of  its  craggy  summits  is  exceedingly 
picturesque.  Particularly  is  it  so  when  viewed  under  the  influences 
of  a  tropical  moonlight.  Would  that  I  were  able,  without  exciting 
extravagant  and  ill-defined  expectations,  to  give  the  reader  a  sufii- 
ciently  graphic  idea  of  the  soft  radiance  and  splendour  of  a  fine 
night  in  the  tropics.  A  bright  moonlight  night  is  everywhere 
delightful.  Many  have  been  the  moon  and  starlight  nights  I  have 
witnessed  and  enjoyed  on  the  hills,  amidst  the  glens,  and,  more 
than  all,  among  or  on  the  lakes  of  our  own  unrivalled  northern 
land.  But  a  moonlight  night  within  the  tropics  exceeds,  in  brilliance 
and  in  beauty,  a  moonlight  night  anywhere  else.  There  is  a  soft- 
ness as  well  as  a  splendour  about  it,  which  is  peculiar  to  itself;  a 
mellow  brilliancy,  which  almost  transcends  description.  Indeed, 
as  it  was  in  this  part  of  my  journeyings  that  my  attention  began 
to  be  attracted  by  the  loveliness  of  the  tropical  nights,  this  seems 
the  proper  place  for  recording  my  impressions  regarding  them. 
Whether  on  land  or  at  sea,  the  scenery  of  the  tropics  on  a  moon- 
light night  is  singularly  beautiful ;  to  my  taste,  infinitely  more  so 
than  it  is  by  day.  On  land,  the  brilliancy  of  the  moon  and  stars 
is  such  that  every  leaf,  and  tree,  and  flower,  seems  bathed  in 
floods  of  liquid  light :  a  light  so  clear,  and  at  the  same  time  so 
mellow,  and  so  soft,  that  the  outline  of  the  hills  and  other  objects 
appear  to  be  defined,  almost  with  greater  dis'mctness  than  when 
they  are  viewed  by  day.  At  sea,  particularly  with  such  hill- 
crowned  islands  as  St.  Lucia,  Martinique,  Dominica,  Montserrat, 
or  St.  Kitt's,  &c.,  in  near  view,  the  scene  is  one  still  more  lovely. 
The  vast  unfathomable  sea,  fit  symbol  of  eternity,  lying  around 
you,  either  sunk  in  deep  repose,  or  upheaving  its  vexed  waves — in 
the  one  case  a  mirror  for  a  thousand  starry  worlds,  in  the  other  a 
sparkling  ocean  of  fire — the  summits  of  the  land  illuminated  and 
surrounded  by  a  kind  of  halo  :  the  scene  has  with  it  all  the  beauty 
of  L  northern  moonlight  night,  and  many  beauties  besides,  pecu- 
liar to  itself.  A  single  fact  will  best  illustrate  the  clearness  of  the 
atmosphere,  and  the  greater  pro?iiinencc  und  brilliancy  of  the  stars 
consequent  thereupon.  Oft  when  in  Ai^tigua,  and  also  in  the 
oHici-  islands  of  the  West  Indian  seas,  have  I  observed  and  called 
attention  to  the  fact,  tliat,  in  certain  positions  of  the  planet  Venus, 
she  was  seen  under  a  crescent  form  like  a  small  moon,  and  emit- 
ting or  transmitting,  in  the  absence  of  the  moon  herself,  a  quantity 
of  light  which  made  her  by  no  means  an  insufficient  substitute. 
Leaving  St.  Lucia,  after  landing  and  taking  on  board  the  mails, 
the  steamer  proceeds  to  the  romantic  island  of 


28 


MARTINIQUE. 


'm 


'  Ml 


■il 
III! 


MARTINIQUE, 

Now,  since  she  has  lost  Ilispaniola,  the  chief  possession  of  France  in 
the  West  Indies,  and  certainly  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  roman- 
tic Islands  of  the  West  India  group.  Martinique  is  situated  in  about 
west  longitude  61°,  and  north  latitude  14°  20',  and  contains  a 
population  exceeding  one  hundred  thousand  inhabitants.  The  ex- 
treme length  of  the  island  is  about  forty  miles,  and  its  average 
breadth  about  ten,  embracing  a  superficies  of  two  hundred  and  nine- 
ty-one square  miles.  The  approach  to  the  island  from  the  south  is 
exceedingly  striking.  Among  the  first  objects  seen  is  the  remark- 
able Diamond  Hock,  which  stands  detached  from  the  rest  of  the  land, 
and  is  about  five  hundred  and  eighty  feet  high,  and  of  which  a  very 
gallant  story  is  told  as  to  the  exploit  of  a  Captain  Morris,  of  the 
English  navy,  during  the  last  war  between  England  and  France,  in 
hoisting  to,  and  mounting  on,  the  summit  of  this  natural  fortress,  a 
thirty-two  pounder,  and  therewith  doing  sad  damage  to  the  works  of 
the  enemy. 

The  general  aspect  of  Martinique  is  singularly  rugged.  The 
mountains,  though  nrc  so  high  as  those  of  Dominica,  are  higher 
than  those  of  St.  Lucia,  and  they  present  a  remarkably  splintered 
and  volcanic  appearance.  In  looking  at  them,  I  was  not  unfrequent- 
ly  reminded  of  a  story  I  had  heard  of  a  member  of  the  British 
House  of  Commons,  who,  wishing  to  give  a  graphic  idea  of  the 
appearance  of  Martinique,  squeezed  a  sheet  of  paper  strongly  up  in 
his  huDd,  and  Laving  thus  made  it  all  heights  and  hollows,  laid  it 
down  on  the  table,  as  showing  generally  to  his  hearers  the  thunder- 
splintered  pinnacles  and  deep  glens  of  this  beautiful  isle. 

The  town  of  St.  Pierre,  the  capital  of  the  island,  and  the  place 
at  which  the  British  steamers  land  their  mails,  is  a  pretty,  clean- 
looking  place,  of  which  the  natives  of  the  island  are  not  a  little  vain. 
As  contrasted  with  some  other  towns  in  the  West  India  islands,  such 
as  Bridgetown  in  Barbadoes,  St.  John's  in  Antigua,  or  Basseterre  in 
St.  Kitt's,  St.  Pierre  in  Martinique  has  certainly  a  superior  appear- 
ance of  permanency,  residence  and  comfort.  It  boasts  too  of  a  thea- 
tre, and  also  of  sundry  restaurants  of  small  dimensions ;  and  it  re- 
joices for  the  present  in  a  very  beautiful  row  of  tamarind  trees, 
which  grace  tlie  beach ;  and  in  a  streamlet  of  water  running  down 
the  centre  of  the  principal  street,  and  imparting  at  least  the  sem- 
blance of  coolness.  On  the  whole,  the  visitor  will  be  much  pleased 
with  St.  Pierre,  and  its  peculiarly  French  aspect,  particularly  as  he 
cannot  fail,  in  the  course  of  his  visit,  to  remark  the  truth  of  an  ob- 
servation I  have  somewhere  met  with,  viz. — that  the  coloured  females 
of  this  island  excel  in  grace  and  beauty  the  ladies  of  the  same  com- 
plexion to  bo  found  in  most  of  the  other  islands,  and  particularly 


DOMINICA. 


29 


Dn  of  France  in 
iful  and  roman- 
tuated  in  about 
and  contains  a 
ants.  The  ex- 
md  its  average 
idred  and  nine- 
im  the  south  is 
is  the  remark- 
est  of  the  land, 
if  which  a  very 
Morris,  of  the 
and  France,  in 
tural  fortress,  a 
to  the  works  of 

rugged.  The 
ica,  are  higher 
:ably  splintered 
not  unfrequent- 
of  the  British 
lie  idea  of  the 
strongly  up  in 
hollows,  laid  it 
rs  the  thunder- 
Isle. 

,  and  the  place 
I  pr*.cty,  clean- 
ot  a  little  vain, 
ia  islands,  such 
r  Basseterre  in 
uperior  appear- 
s  too  of  a  thca- 
ns ;  and  it  re- 
;umarind  trees, 

running  down 
least  the  sem- 
3  much  pleased 
tioularly  as  he 
;ruth  of  an  ob- 
)loured  females 

the  same  com- 
nd  particularly 


those  in  the  possession  of  England.  A  similar  remark  is  found  to 
apply  to  the  women  of  colour  in  the  Spanish  and  Danish  islands;  so 
that  it  would  really  seem,  as  observed  by  Coleridge,  that  "  the  French 
and  Spanish,"  and  I  would  add  the  Danish  "  blood,  seems  to  unite 
more  kindly  and  perfectly  with  the  negro  than  does  our  British 
stuff." 

The  favourite  objects  of  purchase  by  tourists  at  Martinique,  are 
the  eau-de*cologne,  manufactured  in  the  island,  and  which  is  really 
excellent ;  and  also  sundry  liqueurs  of  varied  excellence  and  varied 
taste,  compounded  from  native  fruits  and  flowers,  and  meant  to  imi- 
tate the  noycau  atracoa,  &c.,  of  European  fame. 

At  the  time  of  the  writer's  visit  in  1849,  Martinique  was  in  a 
very  depressed  condition.     The  prospects  of  the  sugar  crop  were  un- 
favourable, and  universal  were  the  complaints  of  the  impossibility  of 
getting  the  negroes,  now  free,  to  work  at  any  reasonable  amount  or 
rate  of  wages.     Indeed,  great  and  reasonable  fears  were  entertained 
i,  that  half  of  the  present  year's  crop  might  be  lost,  through  the  diflS- 
culty  of  getting  it  off  the  ground  and  forwarded  to  the  mill-house. 
Nor  were  the  feelings  of  the  planters  at  that  time  alleviated  by  much 
;  hope  of  compensation  from  the  home  government,  on  account  of  the 
heavy  losses  they  had  sustained  by  the  emancipation  of  their  slaves, 
or  to  aid  them  in  adventuring  on  the  new  course  of  culture  which 
ithat  philanthropic  measure  had  rendered  necessary.     So  far  as  I 
'could  judge,  the  general  opinion  seemed  to  be,  that,  if  compensation 
^  were  awarded  at  all,  it  would  only  be  of  a  nominal  kind — a  sound  of 
h  compensation  without  the  substance  of  it ;  and  in  the  pittance  which 
f  j  has  since  been  awarded  by  France  to  her  colonists,  in  consideration 
of  their  loss  by  the  liberation  of  their  slaves,  this  opinion  has  been 
^1  signally  and  suflBciently  vindicated. 

I      After  leaving  Martinique  and  its  cloud-capt  summits,  the  steamer 
I  proceeds  to  the  British  island  of 

DOMINICA, 

Situated  about  north  latitude  15°  25',  and  west  longitude  Gl°  15'. 
I  This  island  is  twenty-eight  miles  long  by  about  sixteen  broad,  and 
■  contains  a  superficial  area  of  13G,43G  acres.     The  general  character 
of  the  scenery  is  extremely  mountainous,  rugged  and  broken,  and  at 
its  highest  point  it  reaches  the  elevation  of  no  less  than  five  thousand 
three  hundred  feet.     The  approach  to  Dominica  from  the  south  is, 
like  the  approach  to  Martinique,  exceedingly  interesting  and  inspi- 
riting.    On  the  occasion  of  which  this  is  a  narrative — on  leaving  St. 
Pierre  and  while  coasting  along  the  shores  of  Martinique — the  day 
was  warm  and  beautiful,  the  sea  a  summer  one,  and  the  air  tropically 
.  clear.     The  ship  was  for  a  time  attended  by  a  shoal  of  porpoises, 

8* 


so 


GUADALOUPE. 


IfHil'l 


!:i-i!iiii 


I' !  i : 


,  -i" 


lilill! 


IN 


which,  tumbling  and  rolling  along  with  their  pig-like  motions,  called 
to  the  remembrance  Horace's  description  of  the  sea-god, — 

'•  Omne  qiium  Prote  is  pecws  egit  altos 
Viscre  montcs." 

Ere  you  lose  sight  of  Martinique,  Dominica  becomes  clearly  visible ; 
and,  on  nearer  approach,  the  sides  of  the  mountains  which  crest  and 
adorn  it  are  seen  to  be  clothed  to  their  very  summits  with  shrubs  and 
trees ;  while  glens  open  up  to  view,  (also  clothed  with  shrubs  and 
trees  of  various  hues,)  of  such  depth  that  the  tye  is  unable  to  pene- 
trate to  the  bottom  of  their  recesses.  At  first  it  is  impossible  to  dis- 
tinguish the  different  kinds  of  trees  and  shrubs,  that  so  numerously 
and  so  luxuriantly  clothe  both  the  heights  and  the  hollows.  But  a 
few  more  revolutions  of  the  rapidly  moving  paddles,  and  a  few  more 
heavings  of  the  noble  ship  as  she  cleaves  the  calm  but  swelling  sea 
in  her  oiiward  course,  and  the  deep  green  of  the  cedar  or  the  man- 
grove, the  feathery  leaves  of  the  tamarind  and  the  ilex ;  the  light 
velvety  green  of  the  sugar-cane,  and  the  brilliant  hues  of  the  "  Bar- 
badoes  pride,"  become  easily  distinguishable,  and  create  an  impression 
on  the  mind  that  you  are  now  at  last  approaching  the  "  garden  of  the 
tropics."  The  town  of  Roseau,  at  which  the  steamer  lands  her  mails, 
is  a  tolerably  well-built  town  for  a  West  India  one ;  but,  like  most 
of  the  towns  in  the  English  or  French  possessions  in  the  West  Indies, 
it  bears  too  many  marks  of  desertion  and  decay.  It  is,  however, 
proper  here  to  add,  as  regards  Martinique,  Dominica,  Antigua,  St. 
Kitt's,  &c.,  that  such  appearances  are  greatly  aided  by,  and  oft-times 
confounded  with,  the  appearances  produced  by  the  earthquake  of 
1843,  or  by  the  hurricane  of  1848,  which  devastated  these  islands  to 
a  truly  appalling  extent. 

In  the  centre  of  the  mountains  of  Dominica,  and  about  ten  miles 
from  Roseau,  there  is  a  fresh-water  lake  of  some  extent.  The  island 
also  exhibits  traces  of  volcanoes  now  extinct,  or  at  least  now  silent ; 
and  I  was  assured,  by  intelligent  residents,  that  these  and  other  ob- 
jects would  amply  repay  a  visit.  My  time,  however,  did  not  admit 
of  the  indulgence.  So,  after  trafficking,  as  well  as  some  of  the  other 
passengers,  in  the  monstrosities,  such  as  gigantic  frogs  stuffed  and 
varnished,  mountain  pigs  stuffed,  &c.,  which  formed  the  staple  of 
trade  with  the  Dominica  boatmen,  I  proceeded  onward  with  the 
steamer  to 

GUADALOUPE, 

A  French  possession,  situated  at  about  C2°  west  longitude,  and  16" 
20'  north  latitude — sixty  miles  long  by  twenty-four  broad.  Properly 
speaking,  Guadaloupe  consists  of  two  islands  close  together,  of  which 


iiie  chi 
which  i 
division 
of  Gua( 
(after  t 
cultivat 
colony 
The 
hill,  cal 
height 
one  of  t 
none  o: 
should 
of  then 
▼olcani( 
Lucia,  ] 
A  palpa 
marks  c 
Boilofl 
powder 
ginous 
above  s 
whence 
Ibr  the 

{roup,  1 
as  bec( 
^  the  I 
lerised 
r-betw 


nee. 
|he  Sou: 
4-on  wl 
fcieut  t 
ishcs  w< 
4eck  of 
Barbad( 

If  th 
fts  to  thi 
a  very  i 
them — 1 
written 
Geologii 

From 
|>lished 
'le  voyi 


VOLCANIC  PHENOMENA. 


31 


motions,  called 
d,- 


clearly  visible; 
?hich  crest  and 
rith  shrubs  and 
ith  shrubs  and 
mable  to  pene- 
ipossible  to  dis- 
so  numerously 
oUows.  But  a 
md  a  few  more 
»ut  swelling  sea 
lar  or  the  man- 
ilex;  the  light 
s  of  the  "  Bar- 
e  an  impression 
"  garden  of  the 
lands  her  mails, 
but,  like  most 
lie  West  Indies, 
It  is,  however, 
a,  Antigua,  St. 
r,  and  oft-times 
earthquake  of 
these  islands  to 

ibout  ten  miles 

it.     The  island 

ast  now  silent ; 

and  other  ob- 

did  not  admit 

ne  of  the  other 

)gs  stuffed  and 

the  staple  of 

ward  with  the 


Itude,  and  16" 
road.  Properly 
3ther,  of  which 


^e  chief  is  the  eastern  divisioL^  or  "  Grande  Terro,"  the  town  of 
which  is  called  Port-a-Pitre,  or  St.  I  ouis ;  the  town  in  the  western 
division  being  called  Bassaterre ; — while,  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  Guadaloupe,  there  are  three  very  small  islands  called  the  Saintes, 
(after  the  town  of  Saintes  in  France,)  all  of  which  are  inhabited  and 
cultivated,  and  regarded  as  included  within  the  limits  of  the  French 
colony  of  Guadaloupe. 

The  chief  object  of  interest  in  Guadaloupe  is  its  singular  volcanic 
hill,  called  La  Souflfriere,  or  Sulphur  Hill,  whose  summit  reaches  a 
height  of  five  thousand  five  hundred  feet.  But,  indeed,  almost  every 
dne  of  the  Caribbee  Islands  may  boast  of  its  sulphur  hill.  Although 
none  of  them  at  present  have  (and  God  forbid  that  any  of  them 
should  ever  have)  volcanoes  in  active  operation,  there  are  few  or  none 
of  them  that  do  not  bear  some  traces  either  of  volcanic  origin  or  of 
volcanic  eifects.  These  appearances  are  particularly  observable  in  St. 
Lucia,  Martinique,  and  Guadaloupe.  All  these  three  islands  are  of 
Ik  palpably  different  formation  from  Barbadoes.  St.  Lucia  boars 
aaarks  of  a  volcanic  nature  in  her  boiling  ponds,  &c. ; — the  mountain 
BOil  of  Martinique  is  largely  composed  of  pumice,  either  in  lumps  or 
|K)wder ;  and  this  pumice  is  oft-times  found  intermixed  with  a  ferru- 
ginous sand,  such  as  is  generally  seen  about  volcanoes ; — while,  as 
above  stated,  Guadaloupe  has  its  Souffriere,  or  sulphur  hill,  from 
whence  large  quantities  of  brimstone  are  daily  brought  by  the  negroes 
4)r  the  purpose  of  sale.     Thus,  almost  all  the  islands  of  the  Carib 

froup,  betray  evidences  of  volcanic  character.  In  some,  the  volcano 
as  become  extinct,  and  is  no  longer  to  be  traced.  But  in  others,  as 
In  the  Souffriere  of  Guadaloupe,  there  are  decided  and  well-charac- 
terised craters,  which  are  occasionally  active,  throwing  out,  on  such 
iir-between  occasions,  ashes,  scoriae,  and  lava,  to  a  very  great  dis- 
pnce.  Thus,  there  is  an  authentic  account  given  of  an  eruption  from 
le  Souffriere  of  the  island  of  St.  Vincent,  on  the  1st  of  May,  1812 
-on  which  occasion  the  mountain  discharged  ashes  in  quantities  suf- 
Icient  to  darken  the  air  all  around  the  island ;  while  some  of  these 
ishcs  were  sent  up  so  high,  and  blown  so  fur,  that  they  fell  on  the 
4cck  of  a  vessel  three  hundred  miles  to  the  westward  of  the  island  of 
Barbadoes. 

If  the  reader  of  this  book  wishes  farther  to  prosecute  his  inquiry 
as  to  these  sulphur  hills  of  the  West  India  Archipelago,  he  will  find 
a  very  interesting  account  of  one  of  the  most  extraordinary  among 
^em — the  one  which  exists  in  the  romantic  island  of  Montserrat — 
written  by  Dr.  Nugent,  and  published  in  the  Transactions  of  the 
Geological  Society. 

From  Guadaloupe  to  Antigua,  the  sail,  in  a  steam  vessel,  is  accom- 
plished in  a  few  hours.  •  On  the  occasion  of  my  visit,  this  portion  of 
"'lo  voyage  was  the  only  stormy  part  of  it — a  fact  which  is  impressed 


m 


ANTIGUA. 


amusing  incident. 


I 


J  r  i   ;i;  ill 


,    lie,: 
11 


,1 


.11 

111 


upon  my  mind  by  a  somewhr 

from  England,  one  of  my  fellow-passengers  had  been  a  clergyman  o; 
the  Jhurch  of  England,  who,  with  his  wife  and  family,  was  proceed 
ing  to  enter  on  his  duties  as  chaplain  to  one  of  the  embassies.  Al 
though  the  weather  had  been  exceedingly  fine,  and  the  sea  by  nf 
means  rough,  this  excellent  and  reverend  gentleman  had  suflferct 
most  severely  from  the  demon  of  sea-sickness,  from  which  he  wa- 
then  only  beginning  to  recover.  At  Dominica  we  had  taten  ic 
another  gentleman  of  the  cloth — a  dignitary  of  the  Church,  in  the 
person  of  the  Right  lleverend  Bishop  of  Antigua,  (the  able  aii'i 
excellent  Dr.  Davis ;)  and  when  about  to  leave  the  vessel  at  Englist 
Harbour,  Antigua,  I  was — in  the  midst  of  my  regrets  at.  parting  witl 
the  many  kind  friends  on  board — amused  by  accidentally  overhear 
ing  a  conversation  between  two  sailors,  one  of  whom  ascribed  the 
then  boisterous  state  of  the  weather  to  this  increase  in  our  comple- 
ment of  parsons ;  and,  when  reminded  that  it  was  against  his  theorj 
of  Neptune's  hostility  to  the  Church,  that,  notwithstanding  our  havinn 
had  a  parson  on  board  all  the  way  from  England,  the  weather  hail 
been  peculiarly  fine,  and  the  sea  quiescent ;  the  immediate  answer 
was  to  the  effect,  that  the  sea-god  had  revenged  heroclf  by  personal!} 

visiting  the  llev.  Mr.  P with  an  unusual  amount  of  sea-sickness, 

A  small  matter  will  often  change  the  current  of  thought,  and  I  was 
not  sorry  to  take  advantage  even  of  this  to  divert  my  mind  from  the 
gloomy  reflections  that  were  crowding  upon  it,  as  on  a  somewhat  darls 
and  cloudy  midnight  hour,  I  made  my  solitary  first  landing  on  the 
island  of  Antigua.  I  tried,  therefore,  to  speculate  upon  the  origin 
of  so  absurd  a  superstition ;  and  I  also  reflected  upon  the  somewhat 
singular  combination  of  circumstaaces  which  in  the  present  instance 
seemed  to  give  somewhat  of  countenance  to  it :  and,  after  shaking 
hands  v/ith  the  friends  who  had  risen  to  see  me  disembark,  I  landed, 
in  the  earliest  grey  dawn  of  a  stormy  tropical  morning,  at  English 
Harbour  in  the  island  of 

ANTIGUA, 

Situated  in  north  latitude  17°  3',  and  west  longitude  62°  7'.  This 
island  is  divided  into  six  parishes,  is  about  eighteen  miles  long  b}' 
fifteen  broad,  and  contains  a  population  of  about  forty  thousand 
inhabitants,  of  whom  upwards  of  thirty  thousand  are  negroes,  and 
above  five  thousand  coloured  persons,  the  rest  of  the  population  being 
white.  Antigua  enjoys  the  distinction  of  being  the  seat  of  govern- 
ment of  the  Leeward  Islands.  The  capital  of  the  island  is  the  towu 
of  St.  John's,  but  the  royal  mail  steam-packets  do  not  land  their 
mails  or  passengers  there — chiefly,  I  believe,  because  there  is  not 
Bufficient  depth  of  water  on  or  over  the  bar  which  lies  at  the  entrance 


M  thQ^ 
J|ohn's, 
ind  ma 
ifide  of 
the  tra^ 
For,  whi 
ilie  hopi 
Ifuch  ac( 

pe.   : 

i  drive 

I  Readi 

fend,  wl 

report,  { 

are  surr 

fver  me 

jorget  j^ 

irevailii 

I  sto( 

^  le  dim 

lo  the  t( 

Butt 

Ion,  in 

ine  of  1 

)und,  ] 

larrow- 

lowly  ii 

]  Jut  wit] 

i  he  larg 

-  rithin  i 

I  quadroi 

1  ntrance 

ressels  1 

[reat  B 

St.  J( 

Country. 

^arly  mc 

mfamili 

In  the  \ 

lagnific 

>art  of 

tarracki 

ine  obje 

it  Engli 

ittends  1 

lud  pasi 


ANTIGUA. 


33 


uring  the  voyagf 
1  a  clergyman  o: 
ily,  was  proceed 
embassies.  Al 
d  the  sea  by  n( 
lan  had  suflFercc 
m  which  he  wa; 
re  had  taken  h 
J  Church,  in  the 
a,  (the  able  am 
ressel  at  Englisl 
s  at,  parting  witl 
mtally  overhear' 
)m  ascribed  the 
e  in  our  comple- 
gainst  his  theorj 
iding  our  having 
the  weather  had 
imediate  answer 
elf  by  personallj 
t  of  sea-sickness, 
>ught,  and  I  was 
y  mind  from  the 
1  somewhat  dart 
landing  on  the 
upon  the  origin 
>n  the  somewhat 
present  instance 
d,  after  shaking 
abark,  I  landed, 
ling,  at  English 


e  62°  r.  This 
I  miles  long  b) 

forty  thousand 
re  negroes,  and 
)opulation  being 

seat  of  govern- 
and  is  the  town 

not  land  their 
ise  there  is  not 
i  at  the  entrance 


ii  the  very  beautiful,  admirably  protected,  and  capacious  bay  of  St. 
John's,  to  enable  these  steamships  to  get  safely  in.  The  passengers 
ipid  mails  arc  accordingly  landed  at  English  Harbour,  on  the  east 
#de  of  the  island,  which  involves  a  drive  of  some  twelve  miles  ere 
the  traveller  can  reach  any  comfortable  resting-place  for  the  night. 
For,  whatever  the  Guide  Books  say,  it  were  only  to  mislead  to  induce 
^e  hope  of  obtaining,  in  the  existing  hostelry  at  English  Harbour, 
{inch  accommodation  as  an  English  traveller  would  consider  comfort- 
ible.  But  it  is  impossible  to  remember  with  any  feeling  of  regret, 
f  drive  so  beautiful. 

I  Reader,  have  you  ever  felt  the  sensation  of  being  alone  in  a  foreign 
fend,  where  all  is  new  to  you,  all  unknown,  save  through  reading  or 
report,  and  you  yourself  unknown  to  any  of  the  many  by  whom  you 
are  surrounded  ?  The  feeling  of  isolation  which  for  a  moment  came 
fver  me,  when  I  found  myself  so  situated,  is  one  I  can  scarcely  ever 
rget  J  and  if  the  reader  can  realise  it,  he  or  she  will  appreciate  the 
irevailing  sensation  which,  for  a  short  time  at  least,  oppressed  me, 
I  stood  alone  in  the  dockyard  at  English  Harbour,  Antigua,  in 
e  dim  light  of  earliest  dawn,  before  starting  on  my  solitary  drive 
the  town  of  St.  John's. 

But  there  were  many  things  to  interest,  and  to  occupy  the  atten- 
in,  in  the  scene  which  surrounded  me.  English  Harbour  forms 
|ne  of  the  most  compact,  commodious,  and  secure  harbours  to  be 
und,  probably,  in  the  whole  world.  The  entrance  is  extremely 
arrow — so  narrow  that,  as  the  steam-ship  Great  Western  entered 
lowly  in,  it  seemed  as  if  her  bulk  filled  the  neck  of  the  harbour. 
$ut  within,  the  natural  basin  is  deep  and  capacious ;  so  deep  that 
be  largest  line-of-battle  ship  of  the  British  navy  may  be  moored 
rithin  it,  and  so  capacious  as  to  afford  accommodation  for  a  large 
quadron.  While,  being  guarded  by  a  chain  across  the  narrow 
ntrance,  and  commanded  by  a  fort  on  the  adjacent  hill,  merchant 
essels  lying  in  it  are  protected  from  the  assaults  of  any  enemy  that 
reat  Britain  could  have  to  fear.  The  ride  from  English  Harbour 
St.  John's,  the  capital  of  the  island,  is  through  a  very  interesting 
ountry.  Seen  as  I  saw  it,  under  the  beams  of  a  tropical  sun,  in 
larly  morning,  and  with  the  dew  upon  the  leaves,  and  the  to  me  yet 
nfamiliar  flowers,  I  thought  it  singularly  beautiful.  At  some  risings 
m  the  way,  nearly  the  whole  island  is  visible  at  once,  and  several 
agnificent  panoramic  vitws  are  thus  obtained ;  while,  for  the  greater 
art  of  the  ride,  the  fortifications  on  the  "  Bidgc,"  on  which  the 
arracks  for  the  white  troops  stand,  form  a  frowning  as  well  as  a 
ne  object  in  the  view.  The  traveller  is  conveyed  from  the  steamer 
t  English  Harbour  by  a  phaeton  or  omnibus,  one  or  other  of  which 
ttends  the  arrival  and  departure  of  the  steamers  to  convey  the  mails 
nd  passengers  to  and  from  the  town  of  St.  John's.    The  mode  of 


34 


ANTIGUA. 


iiii 


conveyance  is  comfortable,  and  the  fare  of  two  dollars  is  not  unreason 
ably  high,  as  are  but  too  many  of  the  charges  for  the  means  of  pro- 
gression or  locomotion  in  the  West  India  colonies. 

It  must,  I   presume,  always   be   with   feelings  of  considerable 
depression  that   the  traveller,  especially  when  labouring  under  2 
weakened   frame,  finds  himself  entirely  alone,  without  a   kno^v^ 
face  within  his  reach,  and  in  a  foreign  country.     I  confess  that 
despite  of  all  efforts  to  arouse  myself,  my  feelings  were  of  tha: 
sort,  as,  after  bidding  farewell  to  my  kind  friends  and  fellow-pas 
sengers  on  board  the  steamship,  and  expressing  a  hope,  more  thai 
an  expectation,  that  we  might  meet  again,  and  watching  the  vessc. 
as  she  renewed  her  voyage,  and,  steaming  out  of  the  harbour,  again 
careered  over  the  waste  of  waters,  I  took  tpy  solitary  seat  in  tk 
caliche  which  was  to  convey  me  to  the  town  of  St.  John's,  Antigua 
The  advancing  daylight,  and  the  real  beauty  of  the  drive,  soon,  how 
ever,  dissipated  such  feelings;  and  I  had  nearly  regained  my  wonted 
elasticity  of  spirits,  when  I  arrived  at  the  inn  or  lodging-house  (tlit 
latter  term  most  fully  describes  all  the  "  hotels  " — so-called — in  the 
West  Indies)  which  I,  at  the  time,  thought  was  to  be  my  temporan 
abode  for  a  period  of  a  month  or  two.     But  I  also  confess  that  it  re 
quired  all  my  fortitude  to  withstand  the  reaction  caused  by  nij 
reception,  and  the  place  itself.     For  duty  compels  me  to  record  tlu 
fact,  for  the  benefit  of  subsequent  tourists,  particularly  of  invalic 
ones,  that  the  ideas  of  what  is  included  in  the  English  term  "  com 
fort "  must  be  limited  indeed,  if  they  be  gratified  by  the  comforti 
found  in  the  hotel  of  St.  John's ;  and  it  is  with  some  regret  that  I 
record  thi°  fact,  seeing  that,  during  my  stay,  the  desire  to  contributt 
to  my  convenience  was  manifested  in  many  ways,  and  only  failed  in 
being  successful  through  the  inherent  deficiencies  of  the  establish 
ment,  for  which  there  is  not  that  encouragement  which  can  alone 
create  or  sustain  the  means  of  comfort.     Fortunately,  however,  mj 
stay  in  the  hotel  of  St.  John's  was  of  brief  duration.     Through  the 
unexpected  kindness  of  the  Governor-general  of  the  Leeward  Is- 
lands, whose  seat  of  government  is  in  Antigua,  and  to  whom  I  had 
been  fortunate  enough  to  bring  letters  from  near  and  dear  friends,  I 
was,  after  a  stay  of  a  week  in  the  hotel,  enabled  to  take  up  my  quar- 
ters in  Government  House ;  and  it  was  during  a  sojourn  of  sever 
weeks  there,  and  in  the  country-houses  of  Antiguan  friends,  whose 
kindness  will  never  be  forgotten  while  memory  lasts,  (and  whose 
names  I  only  refrain  from  recording  for  the  reason  already  mention- 
ed when  writing  of  my  fellow-voyagers,)  that  I  saw  the  scenes,  and 
acquired  the  infor  jaation,  in  reference  to  matters  connected  with  this 
island  of  Antigua,  v^hich  I  now  purpose  to  record  in  the  immediatclj 
succeeding  pages. 

But,  before  leaving  the  subject  of  lodging-houses  or  hotels  in  the 


iTest  I 
Itond-bo 


iCarch 
lingemc 
of  a  fri 
sroided. 
liid  a  fe 
li  comfo] 
e  who 
rnishe 
fore 
)u;  an 
all  ca 
For 
lost  in 
roup. 
)olishe( 
)lonial 
ptem,  I 
^hcn  tl 
^st  nigh 
Anti^ 
roperty 
eemen- 
ren  by 
ith  the: 
endous, 
lUtigua 
ighly  ii 
)inion  s 
t'  hearii 
ad  hiflu 
rentices 
ad  no  0 
Dncurre( 
le  deep( 
stead  ( 
iscallec 
nd  expe 
rill  not, 
hich  th 
jflects  g 
1st  of  J 
early  th 
1  the  ho 


ANTIGUA. 


8(^ 


;  is  not  unreason 
ae  means  of  pro- 
of considerable 
)Ouring  under  a 
ithout  a  knovt 
I  confess  that 
gs  were  of  tba; 
1  and  fellow-pas 
bope,  more  that 
tcbing  the  vessc! 
le  harbour,  again 
litary  seat  in  tk 
John's,  Antigua 
drive,  soon,  ho^ 
ained  my  wontd 
dging-bouse  (tlit 
so-called — in  tlit 
be  my  temporan 
jonfess  that  it  r& 
I  caused  by  raj 
me  to  record  tk 
ularly  of  invalit 
lish  term  "  com 
by  the  comfort; 
Qe  regret  that  I 
sire  to  contribute 
ad  only  failed  it 
of  the  establish- 
which  can  alont 
ly,  however,  nij 
Through  the 
the  Leeward  Is 
to  whom  I  had 
I  dear  friends,  I 
ake  up  my  quar 
sojourn  of  sevei 
,n  friends,  whose 
ists,  (and  whose 
already  mention' 
the  scenes,  and 
inected  with  this 
the  immediatclj 

or  hotels  in  the 


Vest  Indies — and  as  this  work  is  in  some  measure  designed  as  a 

liand-book  and  guide  for  European  invalids,  visiting  tiiese  islands  in 

iearch  of  health — it  is  material  to  observe  that,  by  a  little  pre-ar- 

ningement,  which  can  easily  be  eifectcd  through  the  instrumentality 

of  a  friend  in  the  island,  all  chance  of  serious  discomfort  may  be 

l^eoided.     IJy  a  little  preparation  on  the  part' of  the  hotel-keeper, 

and  a  few  additions  on  the  part  of  the  visitor,  the  hotel  may  be  made 

jI  comfortable  abode  enough,  not  merely  for  a  casual  visitor,  but  for 

-^e  who  meditates  a  stay  of  a  long  duration.     Besides,  comfortable 

rnished  lodgings  can  generally  be  secured  by  writing  to  a  friend, 

fore  you  arrive,  to  secure  them,  and  have  them  in  readiness  for 

11 ;  and  this  course  I  would  strongly  advise  the  invalid  to  adopt, 

all  cases  in  which  it  is  practicable^for  him  or  her  to  do  so. 

For  many  reasons  Antigua  is,  to  the  philanthropist,  one  of  the 

ost  interesting  of  the  numerous  islands  forming  the  West  India 

oup.     It  was  there  that  slavery  may  be  said  to  have  been  first 

)olished  in  the  British  West  Indian  possessions,  inasmuch  as  the 

blonial  Legislature  of  Antigua  at  once  rejected  the  apprenticeship 

stem,  and  at  once  adopted  entire  emancipation.    This  was  in  1834. 

hen  the  clock  began  to  strike  the  hour  of  twelve  o'clock  on  the 

st  night  in  the  month  of  July  1834,  the  thirty  thousand  negroes 

Antigua  were  all  slaves — slaves  in  every  sense  of  the  word — the 

operty  of  others.     When  it  had  ceased  to  sound,  they  were  all 

eemen — freemen  under  every  meaning  of  that  term — unfettered 

jen  by  the  apprenticeship,  and  at  liberty  to  do  what  they  chose 

ith  themselves  and  their  powers  of  labour.     Surely  this  was  a  stu- 

endous,  and  therefore  an  interesting  change.     During  my  stay  in 

lUtigua  I  had  many  conversations  on  the  subject,  and  heard  many 

ighly  interesting  details  regarding  it,  from  men  of  all  shades  of 

)inion  as  well  as  of  colour.     In  particular,  I  enjoyed  the  privilege 

f  hearing,  from  his  own  mouth,  the  views  and  opinions  of  the  able 

ad  hifluential  gentleman  who  moved  the  bill  for  rejecting  the  ap- 

renticeship  system,  and  adopting  immediate  emancipation :  and  all, 

ad  no  one  more  emphatically  than  the  talented  Dr. himself, 

3ncurred  in  describing  the  scene  as  calculated  to  excite  feelings  of 
le  deepest  interest.  That  the  adoption  of  immediate  emancipation, 
istead  of  taking  advantage  of  the  intermediate  measure,  called  or 
liscalled  the  apprenticeship  system,  was  a  matter  purely  of  policy 
nd  expediency,  unconnected  with  feelings  of  morality  or  of  religion, 
rill  not,  it  is  presumed,  be  denied  by  any  one.  But  the  manner  in 
rhich  the  boon  was  received  by  the  negro  population  unquestionably 
jflccts  great  credit  on  them,  or  on  their  advisers  and  leaders.  The 
1st  of  July  1834  was  a  Thursday,  and  the  evening  of  that  day  saw 
early  the  whole  grown-up  negro  population  of  the  island  of  Antigua 
1  the  houses  of  prayer,  engaged  in  religious  exercises,  chiefly  of  praise 


86 


ANTIGUA. 


and  thanksgiving.  In  the  "Wesleyan  mooting-houso,  in  the  town  of 
St.  John's,  when  the  bell  of  the  cathedral  began  to  toll  the  hour  of 
midnight — the  hour  that  was  to  set  them  free — the  whole  audience 
sank  on  their  knees,  and  continued  thus  to  receive  the  blessed  boon 
of  freedom,  until  the  last  note  had  been  tolled ;  when  they  rose  to 
express  their  gratitude  to  God,  and  their  rejoicings  to  each  other, 
Few,  whatever  may  be  their  views  on  the  general  question  of  eman- 
cipation, will  deny  either  the  interest  or  the  impressiveness  of  such 
a  scene.  The  coming  day,  Friday,  was  also  devoted  to  religious  ex- 
ercises throughout  the  greater  part  of  the  island ;  as  also  was  Satur- 
August  1834  was  the  first  day  on  which  the  negro  papulation  of  any 
day;  and,  as  a  matter  of  course,  Sunday; — so  that  Monday  the  4th  of 
part  of  the  British  colonial  possessions  in  the  West  Indies  worked  as 
freemen — entirely  and  finally  emancipated.  It  argues  well  for  the 
negroes  and  their  religious  instructors,  that  it  is  generally  conceded 
by  the  planters  in  the  island  of  Antigua,  that  on  no  previous  occa- 
sion had  the  workers  on  their  different  estates  turned  out  better  than 
they  did,  when  thus,  for  the  first  time,  called  upon  to  labour  at  their 
occupation  without  the  dread  of  the  lash,  in  the  event  of  their  now 
refusing  so  to  do. 

In  the  numerous  discussions  in  the  British  legislature  and  else- 
where, Antigua  is  generally  represented  as  better  supplied  with  the 
means  of  labour  than  the  rest  of  our  West  India  colonies — Barba- 
does  alone  excepted :  and  that  circumstance  is  usually  referred  to  in 
explanation  of  the  fact  that  this  island  has  suflfered  less  under,  or 
rather  struggled  more  successfully  against,  the  depressing  influences 
against  which  the  West  India  planters  have  of  late  years  had  to  con- 
tend. This  is,  however,  only  in  part  correct.  That  Antigua  has 
not  suflfered  quite  so  much  as  some  of  the  other  English  colonies 
have  done,  from  the  operation  of  the  Sugar  Dnties'  Act  of  1846,  has 
been  as  much  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  es  '*'^s  in  that  island  are 
owned  by  a  body  of  enlightened  proprietors  aTid  agriculturists,  many 
of  whom  are  resident  in  the  colony,  as  to  any  other  cause ;  and  that, 
even  still,  there  is  a  deficiency  of  labour,  is  shown  by  many  circum- 
stances, of  which  the  late  introduction  of  a  large  body  of  Portuguese 
labourers  is  only  one.  In  point  of  fact,  with  the  single  exception  of 
Barbadoes,  none  of  the  British  Colonies  in  the  West  Indies  are  suffi- 
ciently supplied  with  labourers ;  and  this  is  a  truth  which  is  constantlj? 
lost  sight  of  by  those  who,  despite  the  evidence  of  actual  experience, 
still  meet  the  claims  of  the  West  India  proprietors  with  the  plea  that 
"  free  labour  is  as  cheap  as  slave  labour."  The  eflfect  of  emancipa- 
tion obviously  and  necessarily,  though  perhaps  not  quite  immediately, 
was  greatly  to  lessen  the  number  of  field  labourers.  It  lessened 
their  number  by  withdrawing  from  agriculture  and  from  sugar-mak- 
^  iug  a  number  of  persons,  who,  resorting  to  the  towns  and  villages, 


s< 


formed 
artisan! 
on  the 
both 
plantin 
light  w 
\  sirable, 
I  of  the  '. 


facture 
jurious 
will  ha^ 
eluding 
tion  to 
British 
with  so 
the  ope 
the  etfe 
I   very  qu 
tion  an( 
cheap  a 
To  r 
group. 
I      Anti, 
I  West  Ii 
and  the 
most  pi 
island  t 
in  the  \ 
plied  w: 
than  I ; 
the  veri 
the  Bri 
know  tl 
have,  h 
none  of 
name  o 
plains, 
same  ef 
the  sea- 
many  s 
The 
the  we 
times  a 
the  app 
right  ai 


ANTIGUA. 


37 


in  the  town  of  j 
oil  the  hour  of 
whole  audience 
ic  blessed  boon 
a  they  rose  to 
to  each  other, 
sstion  of  eman- 
iveness  of  such 
to  religious  es- 
also  was  Satur- 
pulation  of  any 
mday  the  4th  of 
udies  worked  as 
les  well  for  the 
erally  conceded 

0  previous  occa- 
out  better  than 

)  labour  at  their 
Qt  of  their  now 

ilature  and  else- 
ipplied  with  the 
)lonies — Barba- 
y  referred  to  in 

1  less  under,  or 
ssing  influences 
jars  had  to  con- 
t  Antigua  has 
nglish  colonies 
ct  of  1846,  has 

that  island  are 
iulturists,  many 
ause ;  and  that, 
7  many  circum- 
r  of  Portuguese 
jle  exception  of 
Indies  are  suffi- 
eh  is  constantly 
ual  experience, 
h  the  plea  that 
t  of  emancipa- 
e  immediately, 
.  It  lessened 
om  sugar-mak- 
\  and  villages, 


fermcd  there  a  kind  of  intermediate  clas?  of  pmall  shopkeepers  and 
artisans  or  tradesmen.  And  it  also  lessened  the  amount  of  labourers 
on  the  crops,  by  removing  from  field  labour  numbers  of  the  young  of 
both  sexes,  whose  aid  had  been  previously  available  at  times  of 
planting,  hoeing,  or  crop  time,  and  generally  for  all  departments  of 
light  work.  That  such  changes  were,  in  certain  points  of  view,  de- 
sirable, is  not  disputed.  But  the  elect  they  had  on  the  operations 
of  the  British  planter,  in  the  rearing  of  sugar  canes,  and  in  the  manu- 
facture of  sugar  and  of  rum,  must,  it  is  obvious,  have  been  very  in- 
jurious ;  and,  without"  here  entering  at  large  into  a  question  which  I 
will  have  an  opportunity  of  discussing  at  greater  length  in  the  con- 
cluding chapter  of  this  volume,  i  would  here  draw  the  reader's  atten- 
tion to  the  consideration,  that  it  would  only  have  been  fair  to  tho 
British  West  India  planters,  that  care  had  been  taken  to  supply  them 
with  some  substitute  for  the  "  po«yer"  withdrawn  from  them  under 
the  operation  of  the  Act  of  Emancipation,  he/ore  exposing  them  to 
the  eifects  that  have  arisen  from  acting  on  a  belief  in  the  truth  of  tho 
very  questionable  dictum  that — in  so  far  at  least  as  tropical  cultiva- 
tion and  manufactures  are  concerned — the  labour  of  freemen  is  as 
cheap  and  as  eflFective  as  is  the  labour  of  slaves. 

To  return,  however,  to  the  metropolitan  island  of  the  Leeward 
group. 

Antigua,  though  certainly  not  one  of  the  most  romantic  of  the 
West  India  islands,  possesses  many  scenes  of  exceedmg  loveliness, 
and  the  two  months  I  passed  within  its  limits  are  classed  among  the 
most  pleasing  of  my  treasures  of  memory.  Subject,  as  1  knew  the 
island  to  be,  to  long-continued  droughts,  and  reading,  as  I  had  done 
in  the  works  of  Coleridge  and  others,  of  its  being  very  scantily  sup- 
plied with  springs,  I  bad  prepared  myself  for  a  much  more  arid  spot 
than  I  found  it  to  be.  "  Healthful  withal,  but  dry  and  adust,"  wa.s 
the  verdict  of  anticipation  that  I  had  passed  on  this  the  largest  of 
the  British  Leeward  Islands ;  and,  from  conversations  with  others,  I 
know  that  this  is  a  very  general  impression  regarding  Antigua.  I 
have,  however,  the  pleasing  oifico  of  contradicting  it.  Although 
none  of  the  hills  of  Antigua  are  high  enough  to  be  entitled  to  the 
name  of  mountains,  they  rise  so  abruptly  from  the  sea  and  from  the 
plains,  as  to  give  them  an  appearance  of  altitude  which  produces  the 
same  efiect  as  if  they  were  of  greater  height;  and  among  the  hills  on 
the  sea-coast,  on  the  south-west  of  the  island,  there  are  to  be  found 
many  scenes  of  great  beauty,  if  not  of  exceeding  grandeur. 

The  town  of  St.  John's — the  capital  of  Antigua — is  situated  on 
the  west  or  south-west  of  the  island,  and  contains,  I  was  several 
times  assured,  about  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  although  it  has  not 
the  appearance  of  (*o  large  a  population.  The  streets  are  broad,  and  at 
right  angles  with  each  other ;  and  when  the  mind  of  a  European  gets 


S8 


ANTIGUA. 


(l! 


ill 


familiarised  with  the  caravan-like  style  of  the  mansions,  there  is  a 
good  deal  of  regularity,  and  somcth'Tig  to  admire  in  the  appearance 
of  the  houses.  On  all  hands  I  was  infoimed  that,  previous  to  the 
terrific  earthquake  which  visited  Antigua  and  her  Leeward  sisters  in 
1843,  the  town  of  St.  John's  was  much  more  handsome  and  regular 
than  it  is  no^v ;  and  evidence  of  the  truth  of  the  remark  is  to  be  seen 
in  the  numerous  negro  huts,  crowded  into  spaces  between  more  opu- 
lent-looking mansions ;  spaces  which  had  been  formerly  occupied  by 
houses  of  greater  pr'^tensions  and  magnitude,  but  which,  in  the  pre- 
sent condition  of  matters,  even  in  Antigua,  fheir  owners  had  not 
found  it  convenient  to  rebuild,  after  they  were  shaken  down  by  the 
earthquake  itself,  or  blown  down  by  the  tempest  by  which  it  was  ac- 
companied. But  the  situation  in  which  St.  John's  stands  is  its 
chief  beauty — on  the  shore  of  one  of  the  loveliest  bays  that  the  eye 
can  repose  upon — a  bay  shut  in  by  hills  on  almost  every  side.  From 
the  shore  of  this  bay,  the  ground  on  which  the  town  stands  rises  up 
in  a  gradual  slope  towards  the  cathedral,  which  is  as  it  were  the 
Acropolis,  and  forms  a  most  imposing  object  in  the  landscape.  There 
is  therefore  much  to  admire  in  the  positioii  of  the  capital  of  Antigua, 
and  still  more  in  the  natural  objects  by  which  it  is  surrounded. 

One  of  the  most  conspicuous  objects  in  or  about  St.  John's  is  the 
cathedral,  mentioned  above  as  standing  on  the  brow  of  the  acclivity 
on  which  the  town  is  built — and  which,  although  not  strictly  of  any 
particular  kind  or  school  of  architecture,  or  distinguished  by  archi- 
tectural beauty  of  any  description,  is  an  imposing  structure.  It  occu- 
pies the  site  of  a  former  cathedral  which  was  destroyed  by  the  earth- 
quake of  1843,  and  of  which  the  inhabitants  of  the  island  seem  to 
have  a  fond  and  favourable  recollection.  The  present  building  is 
large,  being  capable  of  containing  above  two  thousand  people.  The 
cost  of  its  erection  was  little  short  of  £4C,000  sterling.  It  is  built 
of  a  kind  of  marl-stone  found  in  the  island,  and  its  interior  is  lined 
throughout,  roof  and  all,  with  the  same  timber  of  which  the  seats  or 
pews  are  fashioned ;  and,  this  wood  being  as  yet  unpainted,  the 
whole  has  a  novel  effect  to  the  eye  of  one  direct  from  England.  Al- 
though there  is  no  regulation,  or  even  understanding  on  the  subject, 
all  parts  of  the  church  being  open  to  all  classes,  without  distinction 
of  colour,  yet  in  practice  the  body  of  the  building  is  usually  occupied 
by  the  white  population — the  people  of  colour  and  the  negroes  occu- 
pying the  side  aisles  and  galleries — there  being,  as  it  appeared  to 
me,  an  obvious  separation  even  between  the  two  latter  in  regard  to 
the  portions  of  the  church  which  they  severally  tenanted.  All  this, 
however,  is  simply  the  result  of  those  feelings  of  caste  which,  to  a 
certain  extent  at  least,  as  yet  prevail  in  the  West  Indies;  and  of 
which,  notwithstanding  the  assertions  of  several  writers  to  the  con- 
trary, the  European  traveller  am^ong  the  islands  of  the  West  Indian 


Archip 
perchai 
made, 
feeling 
from  tl 
be  the 
I  to  say, 
I  in  rcga; 
I  parties 
I  sionallji 
not  bee 
object 
specula 
express 
tion  of 
it  were 
much  ti 
what  be 
more  ei 
as  yet  { 
The: 
of  St.  J 
cese,  (. 
Mr.  W{ 
Alius 
nearly  ^ 
earthqu 
the  islai 
little  idi 
in  the 
letter  c 
"  there 
levelled 
distance 
shock  w 
had  stru 
man  wh 
propriet 
in  all  I 
deaths  c 
and  oth 
number 
taken  ic 
thai  the 
or  overt 


ANTIGUA. 


39 


)ns,  there  is  a 
the  appearance 
)revious  to  the 
ward  sisters  in 
tie  and  regular 
k  is  to  be  seen 
een  more  opu- 
ly  occupied  by 
ch,  in  the  pre- 
rners  had  not 
n  down  by  the 
hich  it  was  ac- 
;  stands  is  its 
js  that  the  eye 
iry  side.  From 
stands  rises  up 
as  it  were  the 
idscape.  There 
tal  of  Antigua, 
Tounded. 
John's  is  the 
f  the  acclivity 
strictly  of  any 
shed  by  archi- 
ure.  It  occu- 
by  the  earth- 
sland  seem  to 
ut  building  is 
people.  The 
It  is  built 
iterior  is  lined 
h  the  seats  or 
,n  pain  ted,  the 
Ingland.  Al- 
n  the  subject, 
»ut  distinction 
lally  occupied 
negroes  occu- 
lt appeared  to 
r  in  regard  to 
)d.  All  this, 
-e  which,  to  a 
adies;  and  of 
s  to  the  con- 
West  Indian 


Archipelago  will,  if  he  attentively  observes,  find  many  evidences  or 
perchance  remains.  Various  attempts  have  from  time  to  time  been 
made,  by  liberal-minded  governors  and  others,  to  break  down  the 
feeling  which  isolates  the  classes,  and  particularly  the  coloured  people 
from  the  whites,  but  only  with  very  minor  effect ;  and  whatever  may 
be  the  case  in  matters  of  business,  assuredly  it  is  but  the  simple  truth 
to  say,  that  there  is  little  homogcncousness  of  feeling  or  of  sympathy, 
in  regard  to  matters  of  social  intercourse.  Attempts  at  mixed  dinner 
parties  or  mixed  balls  have  been  attempted  in  few  places,  save  occa- 
sionally at  Governmen'  Houses ;  and  even  there  their  success  has 
not  been  such  as  to  lead  to  their  frequent  repetition.  My  present 
object  is  merely  to  record  facts  as  they  impressed  myself,  not  to 
speculate  upon  them.  Were  it  otherwise,  I  might  be  disposed  to 
express  at  greater  length  my  sympathies  with  the  coloured  popula- 
tion of  many  of  the  West  India  colonics,  and  the  reason  why  I  think 
it  were  most  desirable  that,  as  a  body  containing  many  persons  of 
much  talent,  energy,  and  general  acceptability,  they  sl'ould  be  some- 
what better  amalgamated  with  their  white  fellow-countrymen,  by  a 
more  entire  breaking  down  of  that  "  middle  wall  of  partition"  which 
as  yet  separates  the  two  classes  in  many  important  respects. 

The  incumbents  officiating  in  the  pastoral  office  in  the  Cathedral 
of  St.  John's,  Antigua,  in  1849,  were  the  Lord  Bishop  of  the  Dio- 
cese, (Dr.  Davis,)  the  venerable  Archdeacon  Holberton,  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Warner,  and  a  fourth  reverend  gentleman,  recently  appointed. 

Allusion  has  been  made  to  the  earthquake  of  1843,  which  levelled 
nearly  with  the  ground  the  former  cathedral  of  Antigua.  Of  this 
earthquake,  the  disastrous  effects  are  yet  to  be  seen  in  every  part  of 
the  island.  Shortly  after  it  occurred,  and  at  a  time  when  I  had  but 
little  idea  of  visiting  Antigua,  I  received  from  a  young  relative,  then 
in  the  island  with  his  regiment,  an  account  of  it,  contained  in  a 
letter  dated  12th  February  1843,  in  which  it  is  mentioned  that 
"  there  was  not  a  single  stone  or  brick  building  which  had  not  been 
levelled  with  the  grt)und;  and  that  on  board  a  sh'p  at  sea,  at  the 
distance  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  from  any  of  the  islnuds,  the 
shock  was  so  severely  felt  that  the  shipmaster  imagined  the  vessel 
had  struck  on  a  rock."  From  information  received  from  the  gentle- 
man who  fills  the  position  of  coroner  for  the  island,  and  who,  as  a 
proprietor  himself  and  also  as  attorney  for  others,  has  a  deep  interest 
in  all  matters  relating  to  Antigua,  I  learned  that  the  nuuiber  of 
deaths  caused  by  the  convulsion  through  the  fall  of  the  buildings, 
and  otherwise,  throughout  the  island,  little  exceeded  twenty — a 
number  small  when  the  extent  of  the  disaster  in  other  respects  is 
taken  into  consideration,  and  only  to  be  accounted  for  by  the  fact 
that  the  negro  houses  are  built  of  such  light  materials  that  their  fall 
or  overturn  does  not  involve  the  destruction  of  human  life. 


40 


ANTIGUA. 


i:  I 


The  prison  of  St.  John's,  Antigua,  deserves  mention,  were  it  only 
to  denote  the  vast  improvement  that  must  have  taken  place  in  its 
construction  and  arrangements  since  the  year  1825,  when  Mr.  Cole- 
ridge visited  and  described  it  as  being  "like  most  others  in  the  West 
Indies,  that  is  to  say,  as  bad  in  every  way  as  possible."  However 
applicable  this  description  may  have  been  to  the  former  place  of  du- 
ranee  in  Antigua,  it  is  only  justice  to  record  the  fact,  that  it  has  no 
application  whatever  to  the  present  airy  and  cleanly  erection.  It 
was  visited  by  me  in  the  society  of  Dr.  Nicolson,  junior,  whose  firm 
exercise  the  medical  and  surgical  superintendence  over  it;  and  for 
ventilation,  cleanliness,  and  facilities  for  labour  and  solitary  confine- 
ment, (when  these  last  are  inflicted  by  judicial  appointment,)  I  ques- 
lion  if  it  is  surpassed  by  any  prison  of  equal  extent,  in  any  part  c'' 
the  world.  The  number  of  prisoners  in  custody  at  the  time  was 
about  eighty,  being  within  fifty  of  the  entire  number  the  prison  is 
calculated  to  contain.  The  daily  cost  of  maintaining  each  prisoner 
was  about  sixpence  per  day,  being  a  reduction  of  twopence  per  day 
from  the  former  cost — a  reduction  effected  under  certain  economical 
arrangements,  suggested  and  prescribed  by  the  present  Governor- 
general  (Higginson,)  who  takes  a  personal  interest  in  this  matter,  as 
ho  docs  in  everything  else  that  affects  the  well-being  of  the  islands 
over  which  he  has  the  honour  to  preside  as  the  representative  of  the 
Crown.  That  the  daily  cost  or  allowance  of  each  prisoner  is  amply 
sufficient  for  his  or  her  comfortable  maintenance,  may  be  gathered 
from  the  fact,  that  instances  are  by  no  means  uncommon  in  which 
prisoners  in  the  jail  of  Antigua  have  disputed  the  order  for  their 
liberation,  on  the  ground  that  the  period  of  confinement  prescribed 
by  their  sentence  had  not  fully  expired — preferring  the  comforts  of 
the  prison  to  those  of  their  own  huts.  It  is  to  be  feared,  however, 
that  such  cases  have  only  occurred  where  the  confinement  was 
"  without  labour,"  and  that  they  have  merely  proceeded  from  the 
indolence  of  the  negro  character — an  indolence  so  nearly  universal 
as  to  lead  almost  to  the  conviction  that  it  is  constitutional. 

At  the  date  of  my  visit  to  the  jail  of  Antigua,  there  was  only  one 
prisoner  in  the  debtors'  ward.  This  fact,  however,  did  not  prove 
anything  either  for  or  against  the  proportion  of  the  population  ex- 
posed to  such  execution  against  the  person.  It  rather  arose  from 
the  circumstance  that,  in  Antigua,  as  in  all  civilised  places,  it  has 
been  discovered  to  be  but  a  coarse  and  irrational  way  of  stimulating 
a  man  to  industry,  to  place  him  where  his  exertions  can  be  of  little 
or  no  use  either  to  others  or  to  himself :  aided,  also,  no  doubt,  by 
the  influences  of  a  law  which  I  found  in  the  pages  of  the  statute- 
book  of  the  local  legislature  of  the  island — and  which  is  interesting 
to  a  Scotf-man  as  showing  a  resemblance  to  the  law  which  has  long 
been  in  existence  in  his  native  land  on  this  subject — which  law  com- 


I  pels  th( 
f  gent  d( 
''  the  \  'a 
I  where^\ 
;     Of  i 
Pi  sition  a 
tion,  I 
visiting 
spcctive 
expositi 
these  r( 
ably  sit 
fully  ev 
propriel 
talent, 
greater 
except 
prepare 
cal  cult 
much  ii 
himself 
patent 
numero 
manufai 
tural  m 
introdu( 
well-kn( 
estate  o: 
tion  wai 
were  inl 
ture  of 
Wilkie' 
tlie  pro 
formed 
home, 
or  unsi 
hopes,  1 
measure 
planters 
tillation 
less  dep 
adopt  e' 
Suffi( 
pearanc 
is  well 


ANTIGUA. 


41 


D,  were  it  oaly 
n  place  in  its 
hen  Mr.  Cole- 
rs  in  the  West 
e."  However 
er  place  of  du- 
that  it  has  no 
Y  erection.  It 
Dr,  whose  firm 
er  it;  and  for 
olitary  confine- 
:ment,)  I  ques- 
in  any  part  o^ 
the  time  was 
•  the  prison  is 
each  prisoner 
pence  per  day 
[lin  economical 
ent  Governor- 
this  matter,  as 
of  the  islands 
entative  of  the 
soner  is  amply 
y  be  gathered 
mon  in  which 
rdcr  for  their 
nt  prescribed 
le  comforts  of 
ired,  however, 
ifinement  whs 
jded  from  the 
arly  universal 
nal. 

was  only  one 
lid  not  prove 
)opulation  ex- 
ir  arose  from 
places,  it  has 
Df  stimulating 
1  be  of  little 
no  doubt,  by 
the  statute- 
is  interesting  ^ 
hich  has  long 
lich  law  com- 


; 


s 


pels  the  incarcerating  creditor  to  provide  for  the  wants  of  his  indi- 
gent debtor  while  in  jail,  by  paying  for  him  one  shilling  a-day,  in 
the  \'ay  of  aliment,  on  the  debtor  making  oath  that  he  has  not  the 
wherewithal  to  support  himself. 

Of  the  general  aspect  of  the  island  of  Antigua,  as  regards  the  po- 
sition and  apj. .  arance  of  the  estates  and  the  general  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, I  could  write  at  some  length,  having  enjoyed  the  advantage  of 
visiting  the  chief  works  and  plantations  in  the  society  of  their  re- 
spective owners  and  managers.  But  to  do  so  would  not  give  a  fair 
exposition  of  the  condition  of  the  British  West  India  colonics  in 
these  respects.  For  although,  even  in  this  metropolitan  and  favour- 
ably situated  island,  the  appearances  of  decadence  are  but  too  pain- 
fully evident,  it  is  well  known  that,  owing  to  the  large  proportion  of 
proprietors  resident  in  Antigua,  there  is  in  it  an  accumulation  of 
talent,  intelligence,  and  refinement,  and  consequent  enterprise, 
greater  probably  than  is  to  be  found  in  any  other  West  India  colony, 
except  perhaps  Jamaica.  If,  therefore,  any  one  goes  to  Antigua 
prepared  to  see  anything  of  that  inattention  to  proper  and  economi- 
cal cultivation  and  management,  of  which  one  occasionally  hears  so 
much  in  the  high  places  of  Parliament  and  elsewhere,  he  will  find 
himself  mistaken  and  agreeably  surprised.  The  steam-engines, 
patent  sugar-pans,  and  other  improved  apparatus  on  the  island,  are 
numerous,  and  every  efforc  has  been  made  to  lessen  the  cost  of 
manufacturing  sugar,  molasses,  and  rum ;  while,  as  regards  agricul- 
tural matters,  the  most  improved  modes  of  husbandry  have  been 
introduced  on  almost  every  estate.  And  it  is  a  fact  told  me  by  the 
well-known  proprietor  of  one  of  the  finest  estates  in  the  island,  (the 
estate  of  Cedarhill)  that  in  times  of  prosperity,  when  sugar  cultiva- 
tion was  remunerative,  many  Scotch  ploughmen  and  Scotch  ploughs 
were  introduced  at  great  expense  into  the  island,  to  improve  the  cul- 
ture of  the  soil.  Indeed,  it  was  from  seeing  Scotch  ploughs,  of 
Wilkie's  patent,  in  operation  at  a  ploughing  match  in  Antigua,  that 
the  proprietor  of  an  estate,  in  the  county  of  Chester  in  England, 
formed  the  resolution  to  introduce  their  use  on  his  own  estates  at 
home.  Facts  like  these  are  surely  better  than  a  thousand  theories 
or  unsubstantial  statements.  Although  the  destruction  of  their 
hopes,  under  the  influences  of  later  legislation,  have,  in  a  great 
measure,  destroyed  the  spirit  and  lessened  the  means  of  the  Antiguan 
planters  and  proprietors  to  make  improvements  in  farming  and  dis- 
tillation, or  sugar-making,  it  is  beyond  dispute  that  they  have,  in 
less  depressing  times,  proven  both  their  desire  and  their  ability,  to 
adopt  every  means  of  improving  the  whole  three. 

Sufl&ce  it  therefore  here  to  say,  on  tb?  subject  of  the  general  ap- 
pearance of  the  country  portion  of  Antigua,  that  the  whole  island 

is  well  cultivated — studded  over  with  the  buildings  of  the  diflferent 

4* 


42 


MONTSERRAT. 


estates,  thrown  together  in  groups,  and  consisting  of  the  proprie- 
tors' and  managers'  mansions  and  outhouses,  with  the  negro  huts, 
and  the  sugar-works,  distilleries,  and  windmill.  In  general,  the 
mansion-houses  are  favourably  situated — ofttimes  with  much  at- 
tention to  picturesque  effect.  The  cane-fields  come  up  to  the  road- 
side, and  are  without  fences  of  any  kind — probably  because  timber 
is  scarce,  and  because  hedgerows  would  have  a  tendency  to  exhaust 
the  lands  of  their  moisture. 

The  greatest  difficulty  the  cultivator  of  the  soil  has  to  contend 
with  seems  to  be,  the  extirpation  of  what  is  somewhat  t^ppropriately 
named  "  Devil's  Grass," — a  sort  of  running  weed  which  spreads 
with  great  rapidity,  and  is  of  very  difficult  eradication. 

Besides  the  works  of  the  proprietors,  and  their  concomitant 
negro  villages,  there  are  sundry  "  independent  villages,"  inhabited 
chiefly  by  negroes,  in  various  parts  of  the  island,  which  have 
sprung  up  since  emancipation,  and  which  interfere  somewhat  with 
the  cultivation  of  the  estates,  from  the  fact  that  the  negroes  who 
dwell  in  them  are  ofttimes  drawn  off  to  the  cultivation  of  the  plots 
which  surround  their  houses,  at  times  when  the  want  of  their 
labour  on  the  cane-fields  and  at  the  sugar-works  is  severely  felt. 
This  evil  is  experienced  by  the  planters  in  many  other  of  the  colo- 
nies, and  especially  in  the  island  of  Jamaica. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Antigua  stands  the  small  island  of 


il 


II 


m4 


MONTSERRAT, 

Situated  in  west  longitude  62°  17',  and  north  latitude  16°  48'. 

To  this  island  the  English  steamer  proceeds  after  leaving  Anti- 
gua, and  thus  it  may  be  reached  in  a  few  hours.  Indeed,  at  any 
time,  with  the  advantage  of  the  trade-wind,  Montserrat  may  be 
reached  fiom  Antigua  during  a  forenoon;  although  the  return  to 
Antigua  may,  in  a  sailing  vessel,  be  the  work  of  a  couple  of  days, 
as  the  trade-wind  is  of  course  adverse  to  a  speedy  return  voyage. 

The  island  of  Montserrat,  as  the  reader  may  desire  to  know,  was 
so  named  by  Columbus  from  a  real  or  supposed  resemblance  to  the 
famous  mountain  of  Montserrat  in  Catalonia  in  Spain;  which  in 
its  turn  derived  its  name  from  the  Latin  word  serra,  a  saw,  because 
the  rugged  appearance  of  its  summit  gave  it  some  resemblance  to 
that  useful  instrument. 

Montserrat,  though  small — being  only  about  nine  miles  long  by 
eight  or  nine  broad,  and  containing  not  more  than  from  forty  thou- 
sand to  fifty  thousand  acres — is  an  exceedingly  pretty  ana  also  a 
salubrious  island,  and  will  well  repay  a  visit.  Like  some  of  the 
islands  in  its  vicinity,  it  boasts  a  Souffriere,  of  which  a  very  good 
description  is  given  by  Coleridge,  in  his  usual  lively,  enthusiastic 


i 


■; 


MONTSERRAT. 


43 


the  proprie- 
3  negro  huts, 

general,  the 
ith  much  at- 
3  to  the  road- 
jcause  timber 
cy  to  exhaust 

as  to  contend 
appropriately 
hich  spreads 

Q. 

concomitant 
s,"  inhabited 

which  have 
)mewhat  with 

negroes  who 

n  of  the  plots 

yant  of  their 

severely  felt. 

5r  of  the  colo- 

of 


16°  48'. 
eaving  Anti- 
deed,  at  any 
rrat  may  be 
the  return  to 
uple  of  days, 
urn  voyage. 
;o  know,  was 
jlance  to  the 
|in;  which  in 
saw,  because 
semblance  to 

ailes  long  by 
m  forty  thou- 
y  ana  also  a 
some  of  tho 
a  very  good 
enthusiastic 


1 


. 


strain ;  and  on  the  ride  to  the  scene,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of 
the  island,  there  are  many  scenes  of  great  beauty  and  interest. 

The  negro  population  of  the  island  speak  with  an  Irish  accent, 
probably  from  a  large  part  of  its  early  trade  having  at  one  time 
been  with  Ireland,  and  there  being  at  one  time  Irish  managers  and 
proprietors  in  the  island.  In  1770  the  value  of  its  exports  to  Ire- 
land was  above  £80,000,  while  to  England  the  inhabitants  of  the 
island  only  exported  to  the  value  of  £7400.  Mr.  Coleridge  says 
of  this  accent,  that  it  forms  the  most  diverting  jargon  he  ever 
heard  in  his  life ;  but  the  following  anecdote,  well  known  to  those 
who  have  visited  the  island,  will  best  illustrate  both  its  nature  and 
its  extent.  Viewing,  as  the  inhabitants  of  the  Leeward  Islands 
generally  do,  Antigua  as  the  capital  and  head-quarters  of  their 
number,  the  negro  who  has  "emigrated"  from  Antigua  to  Mont- 
serrat  talks  of  the  length  of  time  he  has  been  "  out,"  just  as  the 
Canadian  or  Australian  emigrant  does  of  the  length  of  time  that 
may  have  elapsed  since  last  he  saw  the  bold  mountains  of  his  na- 
tive Scotland.  And  it  is  said  that  many  years  ago,  when  an  emi- 
grant from  the  Emerald  Isle  was  about  to  settle  in  Montserrat,  he 
was  surprised  to  find  that  the  negro  who  was  rowing  him  from  the 
ship  to  the  shore  spoke  with  as  pure  a  Milesian  brogue  as  he  did 
himself.  Taking  the  negro  for  an  Irishman,  though  a  blackened 
one,  and  desirous  of  ascertaining  the  length  of  time  that  it  took  so 
thoroughly  to  tan  the  "  humaa  ace  divine,"  the  Patlander  ad- 
dressed his  supposed  countryman  with  the  question,  "  I  say,  Pat, 
how  long  time  have  you  been  out  ?"  "  Three  months,"  was  the 
astounding  answer.  "  Three  months  !"  ejaculated  the  astonished 
and  alarmed  son  of  Erin — "  three  months !  and  as  black  as  my 
hat  already.  Eow  me  back  to  the  ship.  I  wouldn't  have  my 
face  that  hlach  for  all  the  rum  and  sugar  in  the  West  Indies." 

But  the  reader  may  well  ask  whether  the  writer's  experiences  as 
a  stranger  visiting  the  West  Indies  for  the  first  time,  were  all  of 
the  pleasing  character  recorded  in  the  preceding  pages — whether 
there  were  not  many  things  offensive — many  things  which  may 
fairly  be  placed  in  the  category  of  West  Indian  annoyances  ?  Most 
certainly  there  were  many  such ;  and  these  sketches  would  be  very 
incomplete  did  they  not  contain  an  attempt,  at  least,  to  prepare, 
and  consequently  to  fortify,  the  visitor — particularly  the  invalid 
visitor — for  what  he  has  to  encounter  in  the  way  of  inconvenience 
or  unavoidable  annoyance.  A  few  pages  shall  therefore  be  now 
devoted  to  the  recording  of  some  of  my  own  evil  experiences,  al- 
though many  of  the  sources  of  discomfort  to  be  noticed  were  not 
felt  till  I  visited  the  Danish  or  Spanish  islands,  in  an  after  part  of 
the  journeyings  of  which  this  book  contains  the  narrative. 

Of  the  general  eflfects  of  the  climate  of  the  West  Indies  on  a 


44 


GENERAL  REMARKS 


Earopean,  and  particularly  on  one  in  delicate  health,  little  need 
here  be  said.  It  is  hot,  but,  at  the  season  of  my  visit,  between 
February  and  June,  not  so  hot  as  I  had  been  led  to  anticipate  from 
the  representations  of  others.  With  proper  precautions,  no  one 
who  visits  the  West  Indies  solely  on  account  of  health  (and  who 
is  therefore  not  under  the  necessity  of  exposing  himself  or  herself 
often  to  the  noonday  sun)  need  make  the  heat  any  ground  of  seri- 
ous objection.  There  is  generally,  it'  not  always,  a  breeze  which 
tempers  the  intensity  of  the  sun's  rays ;  and  the  only  remark  the 
writer  deems  it  necessary  to  make  on  this  subject  is,  that,  after 
visiting  nearly  the  whole  of  the  Islands  of  the  West  Indian  Archi- 
pelago north  of  Barbadoes,  his  experience  is,  that  there  is  much 
more  chance  of  injury  from  disregarding  the  changes  of  the  cli- 
mate, and  the  occasional  blasts  and  chills  of  evening,  than  of  much 
discomfort  being  felt  from  excessive  heat.  In  Barbadoes,  and  the 
islands  to  the  north  of  it,  the  thermometer  varies  very  greatly — 
ranging  in  the  shade  from  a  little  above  70°  to  110°,  and  even 
sometimes  higher — the  variation  being  of  course  dependent  on  the 
comparative  elevation,  and  also  on  the  degree  of  exposure  to  the 
breeze  from  the  sea.  In  Barbadoes  there  is  no  ground  which  can 
be  characterized  as  mountainous,  the  highest  elevation  in  that 
island  being  little  above  eleven  hundred  feet.  But  there  is  a  sea- 
breeze  generally  prevalent,  which  greatly  tempers  the  heat.  In 
Antigua  there  are  many  situations  of  some  elevation,  where  a  de- 
lightful climate  may  be  had ;  and  the  same  remark  applies,  even 
more  strongly,  to  Montserrat,  Nevis,  and  St.  Kitt's.  The  genial 
breezes  and  verdure  of  Santa  Cruz  have  recommended  it  to  the 
Americans  and  others  as  a  place  of  sanitary  resort ;  and  in  the 
noble  mountains  of  Dominica,  Martinique,  and  still  more  of  Ja- 
maica, (the  island  of  springs,)  may  be  found  every  degree  of  cli- 
mate, from  sultry  to  temperate,  and  even  to  cold.  Everything, 
therefore,  depends  on  the  proper  selection  by  the  invalid  of  his 
place  of  retreat.  In  the  course  of  my  remarks,  I  shall  have  occa- 
sion to  explain  my  reasons  for  affirming  that,  many  as  are  the 
invalids,  and  particularly  those  labouring  under  pulmonary  com- 
plaints, who  now  occasionally  visit  the  West  Indies,  there  is  not 
only  far  too  great  ignorance  prevalent  as  to  the  superior  advantages 
of  these  islands  as  places  of  sanitary  retreat,  but  there  is  often 
much  ignorance  displayed  in  the  selection  of  the  particular  island 
to  which  the  patient  goes  or  is  sent.  Meantime,  however,  I  shall 
simply  content  myself  with  remarking  that,  while  the  subject  is  an 
impoi  iiant  one,  involving  as  it  does  the  hopes  of  many  a  household, 
ani^  the  question  of  recovery  or  of  non-recovery  of  many  a  fair 
faco  and  lovely  form,  there  is  provided  hy  Providence  in  the  great 
range   of  teiivperature  to  he  found  in  the   West  Indian  islands, 


1 


i 
i 


ON  WEST  INDIES. 


45 


1,  little  need 
isit,  between 
ticipate  from 
ions,  no  one 
Ith  (and  who 
ilf  or  herself 
onnd  of  seri- 
breeze  which 
T  remark  the 
Is,  that,  after 
ndian  Archi- 
lere  is  much 
IS  of  the  cli- 
than  of  much 
iocs,  and  the 
;ry  greatly — 
0°,  and  even 
ndent  on  the 
posure  to  the 
id  which  can 
tion  in  that 
bere  is  a  sca- 
le heat.  In 
,  where  a  de- 
applies,  even 

The  genial 
ed  it  to  the 

and  in  the 
more  of  Ja- 
legree  of  cli- 

E  very  thing, 

I  valid  of  his 

II  have  occa- 
y  as  are  the 
nonary  corn- 
there  is  not 
r  advantages 
lere  is  often 
icular  island 
ever,  I  shall 
subject  is  an 
a  household, 
many  a  fair 

in  the  great 
Han  islands, 


climates  suitahle  for  almost  every  stage  and  variety  of  pidmonary 
complaint. 

But,  even  after  having  made  a  good  selection,  as  regards  the 
place  of  residence,  the  European,  and  especially  the  English  visitor, 
should  be  somewhat  prepared  for  meeting  with  various  experiences 
which  may  offend  his  habits,  or  militate  against  his  comfort.  Some 
one  has  before  remarked,  that  comfort  is  a  word  which  has  a  pecu- 
liarly English  meaning  as  well  as  sound ;  and  during  a  temporary 
residence  in  the  West  Indies,  the  English  visitor  may  be  occasion- 
ally reminded  of  this  fact.  Not  to  speak  of  the  comparatively 
open,  desolate,  and  unfurnished  appearance  which  some  West  India 
houses  (and  particularly  most  of  the  West  India  lodging-houses) 
have  to  an  eye  straight  from  the  closely  fashioned  and  richly  car- 
peted rooms  of  England,  there  are  other  differences  to  be  enume- 
rated, which  have  a  tendency  to  offend,  at  least,  the  prejudices  of 
the  European  traveller.     With  regard   to  these,  the  views  and 


opinions  of  different  writers  will  of  course  vary, 


according 


either 


to  their  home  habits  and  experiences,  or  according  to  the  nature 
and  extent  of  the  opportunities  afforded  each  for  observation : 
those  favoured  with  introductions  to  the  better  society  of  each  of 
the  colonies,  seeing  little  of  them,  and  judging  accordingly;  and 
those  going  to  the  West  Indies  without  such  introductions,  having 
their  attention  much  attracted  (query,  distracted?)  by  the  bare 
floors,  unglazed  windows,  and  uncushioned  seats,  occasionally  to  be 
encountered  in  most  of  the  lodging-houses  or  hotels.  But,  apart 
from  the  question  of  houses,  there  are  other  more  general  sources 
of  annoyances  to  be  encountered  in  the  dogs  and  cocks  that  dis- 
turb your  sleep  by  night,  and  in  the  musquitoes,  chigas,  and  other 
insects,  that  war  against  your  equanimity  both  by  night  and  day. 
In  such  things  the  visitor  from  the  north  of  Europe  should  expect 
to  find,  for  at  least  the  first  season  of  his  visit,  enough  to  annoy 
him  not  a  little.  Where  all  the  dogs  come  from,  sometimes  puz- 
zles one  to  know ;  but  the  interest  of  the  inquiry  in  no  way  lessens 
the  discomfort  of  having  one's  sleep  broken  up  into  fragments  by 
the  incessant  yellings  and  yelpings  which  these  curs  generally  keep 
up  in  the  towns  through  the  livelong  night ;  and  it  were  really 
worth  the  attention  of  the  island  legislatures  of  Barbadoes  and 
Antigua,  &c.,  to  take,  even  from  so  humble  a  book  as  the  present, 
the  hint  to  put  a  tax  upon  dogs — if  not  for  the  sake  of  increasing 
much  the  colonial  revenues,  at  least  as  an  act  of  charity  towards 
such  invalids  as  the  search  after  health  may  induce  to  visit  their 
hospitable  shores.  But  the  cocks  are  not  one  whit  behind  the  dogs 
in  this  crusade  against  sleep.  For,  whether  it  be  that  Creole  poultry 
never  sleep  at  all,  or  that  they  sleep  through  the  day,  and  mistake 
the  bright  beams  of  the  chaste  moon  for  the  ardent  gaze  of  Ptioe- 


4G 


GENERAL  REMARKS 


bug,  and  lift  up  their 


ing, 


and 


up 

yelping 


voices 
heard  at 


h 


''  'M 


night   m 
Barbadoes  and  Antigua,  St.   Kitt's 


during  the  night — the  crowing,  bark- 
the  respective  capitals  of 
and  Santa  Cruz,  arc  amply 
sufficient  to  render  irate  the  temper  even  of  a  very  patient  man, 
and  to  justify  the  volley  of  stones  occasionally  discharged  at  the 
more  intrusive  disturbers  of  rest  who  venture  within  "  fire."  To 
such  and  suchlike  occasional  annoyances,  may  be  added  the  petty 
warfare  of  the  insect  tribes,'which,  engendered  and  fostered  by  the 
heat,  and  unaffected  by  the  frosts  to  which  in  northern  climes  the 
inhabitants  are  indebted  for  their  being  exterminated  or  kept  within 
bounds,  multiply  and  swarm  in  myriads,  which  it  takes  some  time, 
for  a  lady  visitor  especially,  to  get  accustomed  to.  Of  theso 
insects  the  chiga,  and  better-known  musquito,  shall  here  only  be 
mentioned. 

The  chiga,  or  "jigger,"  as  it  is  usually  called,  is  a  small  black 
or  dark-brown  fly,  which,  getting  under  the  nails  or  under  the  folds 
of  the  skin  and  other  tender  parts  of  the  human  body,  is,  if  not 
very  soon  removed,  sure  to  engender  irritation  and  pain,  and  some- 
times even  worse  consequences.  After  so  inserting  itself,  the  ani- 
mal lays  its  eggs ;  and  if  these  are  allowed  to  remain,  the  part 
some  days  afterwards  begins  to  swell  and  inflame,  the  extent  to 
which  this  proceeds  being  only  measured  by  the  length  of  time  the 
animal  and  its  products  are  suffered  to  linger  in  the  flesh.  But  as 
it  always  makes  its  presence  known  by  an  itchy  or  tickling  sensa- 
tion— a  sensation,  by  the  way,  which  the  writer  has  heard  many 
describe  as  rather  pleasurable  than  otherwise — there  is  no  chance 
of  any  injury  if  the  animal  is  then  removed,  as  it  may  very  easily 
be.  But  the  negroes  and  other  labourers,  such  as  the  Portuguese 
work-people  lately  brought  into  Antigua,  and  into  some  of  the 
other  West  India  Islands  from  Madeira,  and  especially  the  latter, 
are  ^  "angely  indifferent  to  the  attacks  of  the  chiga  and  other 
insei  .  In  the  hospitals,  and  on  the  roads,  persons  are  often  met 
with,  who,  by  want  of  attention  to  cleanliness  and  disregard  of  the 
attacks  of  the  chiga,  have  been  rendered  helpless  and  diseased 
objects  of  charity.  There  is  a  pretty  geneial  belief  prevalent 
amongst  the  negroes  and  coloured  population,  that  there  are  two 
kinds  of  chigas — one  poisonous,  the  other  not  so.  But  there  is  no 
proper  foundation  for  such  belief,  and  it  has  probably  arisen  from 
the  fact  that  while  the  working  population,  who  neglect  precautions 
and  cleanliness,  often  suffer  much,  the  higher  'lasses,  who  act  more 
prudently,  seldom  suffer  in  any  way. 

But  the  much  abused  and  widely  diffused  musquito  is,  in  my 
opinion,  if  not  the  most  dangerous,  at  least  the  most  annoying  of 
all  the  insects  which  swarm  in  the  beams  of  a  tropical  sun.  Of 
these  insects  I  have  heard  at  least  five  kinds  named  in  different 


parts 
tor,  juj 
but  th( 

I  most  0 
musqu 
lodging 
not  bei 
musqui 

u  judging 
not  onl 
were  th 
those  t( 
period 

3  in  the 
quito  t 
First  i 
always 
of  his  £ 
cause  r( 
one,  air 
ining  ol 
referred 
musquit 
is  a  reir 
been  a  s 
produce 
presses 
and  sen 
larly  to 
is  scarce 
at  any  ti 
rubbing 
Such 
may  ex] 
dence  i; 
ones,  an 
objectio 
view, 
at  all,  h 
perusal 
my  own 
pation  0 
of  the  d 
Tore 
Althc 


ON  WEST  INDIEF. 


47 


rowing,  bark- 
5  capitals  of 
i,  arc  amply 
patient  man, 
argecl  at  the 
"fire."  To 
ed  the  petty 
stored  by  the 
n  climes  the 
ir  kept  within 
2S  some  time, 
1.  Of  theso 
here  only  be 

I  small  black 
ider  the  folds 
idy,  is,  if  not 
in,  and  some- 
tself,  the  ani- 
ain,  the  part 
he  extent  to 
;h  of  time  the 
esh.  But  as 
;kling  sensa- 
heard  many 
is  no  chance 
.y  very  easily 
5  Portuguese 
some  of  the 
ly  the  latter, 
a  and  other 
,ro  often  met 
regard  of  the 
md  diseased 
ef  prevalent 
lere  are  two 
t  there  is  no 
arisen  from 
precautions 
irho  act  more 

;o  is,  in  my 

annoying  of 

al  sun.     Of 

in  different 


parts  of  the  "West  Indian  Archipelago — the  coraci,  zuncudo,  redac- 
tor, juguey,  and  lancetero.  These  are  names  peculiar  to  Cuba ; 
but  they  describe  species  of  the  insect  which  are  to  be  found  in 
most  of  the  islands.  My  first  acquaintance  with  the  West  Indian 
musquito  was  made  during  a  week's  residence  in  an  indifferent 
lodging-house  in  St.  John's,  Antigua,  where,  in  consequence  of  my 
not  being  protected  from  their  attacks  by  the  almost  indispensable 
musquito  net,  I  was  peculiarly  exposed  to  their  assaults;  and, 
judging  from  my  experience  at  that  time,  I  would  have  supposed, 
not  only  that  they  were  a  legion  in  point  of  number,  but  that  they 
were  the  worst  of  the  many  species  into  which  the  Cubans  divide 
those  to  be  found  in  their  island.  Indeed,  it  was  not  till  an  after 
period  of  my  journeyings,  when  in  the  Spanish  colonies,  and  also 
in  the  sfuthern  states  of  America,  that  I  found  any  of  the  mus- 
quito ti  uc  more  annoying  than  those  encountered  ir  utigua. 
First  impressions  are,  however,  always  the  most  a  ^o,  if  not 
always  the  most  lasting ;  and  it  is  therefore  during  the  first  weeks 
of  his  sojourn  that  the  invalid  will  feel  most  annoyance  from  the 
cause  referred  to.  Moreover,  and  the  assertion  will  seem  a  strange 
one,  almost  as  much  discomfort  is  produced  by  the  Mizz  or  hum- 
ming of  the  insect  as  by  its  bite.  Like  that  class  of  grumblers 
referred  to  in  a  well-known  Scottish  adage,  it  may  be  said  of  the 
musquito  that  his  buzz  or  "  bark"  is  "  waur  than  his  bite."  This 
is  a  remark  which  is  almost  universally  made  by  visitors  who  have 
been  a  short  time  in  any  of  these  colonies.  The  humming  sound, 
produced  by  the  motion  of  the  wings  of  the  insect,  and  which  im- 
presses the  mind  with  the  conviction  that  it  is  only  selecting  a  soft 
and  sensitive  point  of  attack,  often  proves  very  annoying,  particu- 
larly to  one  debilitated  by  illness.  Indeed,  the  bite  of  the  insect 
is  scarcely  felt  at  the  tiuie ;  nor  is  it  productive  of  much  annoyance 
at  any  time,  provided  only  the  party  operated  upon  can  refrain  from 
rubbing  the  part  that  may  be  affected. 

Such  are  some  of  the  sources  of  discomfort  which  the  visitor 
may  expect  to  encounter  during  the  first  few  months  of  his  resi- 
dence in  the  West  Indies.     At  the  utmost  they  are  but  trifling 


ones,  and  such  as  ought  not  to  be  considered  by  any  as  a  serious 
objection  to  undertaking  the  voyage,  particularly  when  health  is  in 
view.  Indeed,  I  would  not  have  thought  ^.hem  worthy  of  mention 
at  all,  had  it  not  been  that  my  remarks  are  intended  chiefly  for  the 
perusal  and  preparation  of  the  invalid,  and  had  it  not  been  that 
my  own  personal  experience  leads  me  to  think  that  a  little  antici- 
pation of  what  may  actually  be  felt,  would  have  prevented  much 
of  the  discomfort  to  which  I  have  alluded. 

To  return,  however,  to  Antigua  and  its  scenery. 

Although,  as  already  mentioned,  no  part  of  the  inland  is  so  high 


48 


ANTIGUA. 


as  to  bo  entitled  to  the  character  of  mountainous,  the  highest  hill 
in  it  scarcely  reaching  the  height  of  twelve  hundred  feet,  yet  the 
fact  that  the  hills,  particularly  on  the  southern  side  of  the  island, 
spring  directly  from  the  sea  on  the  one  side,  and  from  the  plain  on 
the  other,  gives  to  them  an  appearance  of  majesty  which  one  would 
not  anticipate  from  a  knowledge  of  their  actual  height.  This  cir- 
cumstance often  reminded  me  of  a  statement  I  had  heard  in  a 
neighbouring  and  therefore  a  rival  island,  that  "there  was  a  metro- 
politan air  about  Antigua  and  its  inhabitants,  and  that  even  the 
very  hills  lifted  up  their  heads  and  tried  to  look  like  mountains." 
Amongst  these  hills  there  are  many  scenes  of  rich  and  rare 
beauty.  The  summits  called  the  Ridge  and  Monks-hill,  on  which 
the  English  Government  have  erected  their  garrison  and  fortifica- 
tions, are  very  fine  objects  in  the  landscape,  and  will  amply  repay 
a  visit.  Indeed,  the  whole  of  the  scenery  in  the  southern  parts  of 
the  island,  and  in  the  vicinity  of  English  Harbour,  is  replete  with 
beauty ;  although,  perhaps,  the  only  scene  in  it  which  can  be  fairly 
characterized  as  magnificent,  is  that  known  by  the  name  of  Fig- 
Tree  Hill.  The  tortuous  descent  of  this  hill,  clothed  as  the  sides 
of  it  are  with  every  description  of  tropical  forest-trees,  intermixed 
with  shrubs  of  every  variety  of  kind  and  colour,  aflFords  a  scene  of 
very  unique  grandeur,  and  fully  justifies  Mr.  Coleridge's  observa- 
tion regarding  it,  that  it  is  "  a  landscape  so  exquisitely  beautiful, 
that  no  poet  or  painter  who  had  once  seen  it  could  ever  forget  the 
eight  I"  Indeed,  and  without  professing  any  title  to  painting  or 
to  poetry,  I  shall  exer  regard  the  ride  which  opened  up  to  me  the 
remarkable  beauties  and  tropical  grandeur  of  Fig-Tree  Hill, 
Antigua;  as  entitled  to  a  place  among  what  Dr.  Browning  calls — 

.  "  Memory's  gems  of  thought." 

It  is  in  the  descent  of  this  hill  that  the  visitor  is  reminded,  by 
his  attention  being  directed  to  the  wayside  spring  as  an  object  of 
interest  or  remark,  that  Antigua  is  dependent  on  the  rains  that  fall 
for  the  supply  of  water.  For,  although  it  is  not  quite  correct  to 
say,  as  is  often  done,  that  there  are  no  springs  in  this  island,  still 
there  are  very  few,  and  those  that  are  to  be  found  are  very  incon- 
siderable. Indeed,  this  very  clear  one,  to  be  found  on  the  left- 
hand  side  of  the  road,  before  entering  the  dark  descent  of  Fig-Tree 
Hill,  is  the  only  one  which  is  not  brackish,  from  the  interference 
of  water  from  the  sea. 

But  it  is  only  those  who  entertain  northern  notions  of  what  is 
called  "rain  water,"  who  would  regard  this  fact  as  an  objection  to 
a  residence  in  the  island.  Whether  it  be  that  the  absence  of 
smoke  causes  the  rain  to  reach  the  earth  in  a  state  of  greater  purity, 
or  that  more  attention  is  paid  to  its  purification  and  safe  keeping 


ing, 


ANTIGUA. 


49 


e  liigbest  hill 
1  feet,  yet  the 
of  the  island, 
n  the  plain  on 
rich  one  would 
ht.  This  cir- 
ad  heard  in  a 
e  was  a  metro- 
that  even  the 

mountains." 
rich  and  rare 
■hill,  on  which 
a  and  fortifica- 
I  amply  repay 
ithern  parts  of 
is  replete  with 
1  can  be  fairly 

name  of  Fig- 
ed  as  the  sides 
es,  intermixed 
•rds  a  scene  of 
dge's  observa- 
tely  beautiful, 
ver  forget  the 
to  painting  or 
I  up  to  me  the 

ig-Tree  Hill, 
jwning  calls — 


reminded,  by 
is  an  object  of 

rains  that  fall 
uite  correct  to 
lis  island,  still 
re  very  incon- 
d  on  the  Icft- 
nt  of  Fig-Trce 
10  interference 

ons  of  what  is 
,n  objection  to 
le  absence  of 
greater  purity, 
safe  keeping 


after  it  is  gathered  into  tanks,  I  know  not ;  but  this  I  know,  that  I 
felt  the  want  of  good  pure   water  while   I  sojourned   in 


I 


i 


never 


Antigua,  and  that  I  would  probably  not  have  known  whence  the 
water  I  got  to  drink  had  been  derived,  had  I  not  made  inquiry 
upon  the  subject.  The  want  of  spring  water  in  Antigua  is,  there- 
fore, not  felt  to  be  a  want  even  by  those  who  do  not  belong  to  the 
class  of  the  West  Indian,  who,  when  applied  to  decide  a  dispute 
as  to  the  salubrity  of  water  in  an  island  in  which  he  had  resided 
for  seventeen  years,  answered — "  Water,  gentlemen  ! — water  !  I 
really  don't  recollect  ever  having  tasted  the  water." 

But  among  the  very  beautiful  scenes  which  I  had  the  pleasure 
and  privilege  of  witnessing  in  this,  the  metropolitan  island  of  the 
Leeward  group,  there  was  none  that  struck  me  with  more  plea- 
surable feelings  than  the  beautiful  appearance  of  a  tropical  sunset, 
as  witnessed  from  the  acropolis  of  the  town  of  St.  John's,  or  from 
any  of  the  neighbouring  hills.  It  is  a  scene  which  may  be  wit- 
nessed nearly  every  evening,  and  particularly  if  the  return  to  St. 
John's,  from  an  afternoon  excursion,  is  timed  so  as  to  command  it. 
The  mountains  of  Montserrat,  Nevis,  and  St.  Kitt's,  on  the  right 
and  left  of  the  picture,  the  broad  ocean  lying  between,  generally 
in  a  state  of  calm  repose,  with  the  golden  sun  occasionally  seen  on 
the  verge  of  the  horizon,  as  he  appears  to  burst  through  or  part 
asunder  the  dark  clustering  clouds  that  attend  his  setting — look- 
ing, as  I  have  somewhere  read,  like  faithful  courtiers  in  waiting  oi: 
the  deathbed  of  their  monarch  at  the  close  of  a  glorious  reign  j  the 
richly  coloured  and  fantastically  grouped  masses  of  the  clouds 
themselves,  with  their  broken  splintered  summits,  "  bathed  in 
floods  of  liquid  fire ;"  the  beautiful  bay  of  St.  John's  with  Goat 
Island  Hill  and  sundry  other  summits  in  the  foreground,  or  rather 
a  little  to  the  right  of  the  picture — such  materials  combined,  as  I 
have  often  seen  them  when  returning  from  an  afternoon's  ride  in 
Antigua — form  a  union  of  scenic  beauties,  and  compose  a  view  of 
rich  and  rare  excellence,  such  as  no  lover  of  nature  could  ever  forget. 

There  are  many  other  scenes  of  much  beauty  to  be  found  in  the 
island  of  Antigua,  to  which  the  attention  of  the  visitor  is  generally 
directed ;  but  none  appeared  to  me  to  possess  such  superior  excel- 
lence as  to  lead  me  to  suppose  that  a  description  of  them  would 
interest  the  general  reader,  however  sufficient  they  proved  them- 
selves to  attract,  and  even  to  engross  agreeably,  my  own  attention 
at  the  time.  In  the  memory  of  such  scenes,  a  visit  to  Orange  Val- 
ley, and  a  return  to  Government  House,  St.  John's,  with  an  eques- 
trian party  of  agreeable  friends,  in  the  tiright  but  mellow  light  of 
a  tropical  moon,  by  the  shores  of  Five  Island  Bay,  and  through  the 
appropriately  named  "  Dark  Valley,"  occupies  a  conspicuous  place. 
It  was  in  the  course  of  this  ride  that  I  first  favourably  remarked 

5 


50 


ANTIGUA. 


;;.    ,     ,1;.;' 


W  ^n 


l)oth  tlic  appcfiranco  of  great  height  given  to  the  hills,  from  their 
rising  almost  immediately  from  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  the  extra- 
ordinary clearness  of  the  tropical  atmosphere.  As  regards  the  first 
of  these,  a  hill  of  eight  hundred  or  one  thousand  feet  high  hag 
almost  the  appearance  of  a  mountain ;  and  after  toiling  up  the 
acclivity,  with  a  scorching  sun  nearly  vertical,  one  is  almost  dis- 
appointed at  being  told  the  real  altitude  to  "which  he  has  attained : 
while  in  reference  to  the  second,  the  purity  and  clearness  of  the 
atmosphere  is  so  great  that,  looking  frem  the  mansion-house  of  the 
estate,  which  is  situated  on  the  hill-side,  across  the  intervening 
valley,  objects  of  a  comparatively  small  size  are  seen  with  a  dis- 
tinctness which  renders  all  their  movements,  and  even  their  "  cut " 
and  character,  figure  and  dress,  (such  as  they  have,)  discernible  to 
the  spectator,  although  he  and  the  object  he  looks  at  be  separated 
by  the  distance  of  a  mile  and  more. 

In  a  work  like  the  present,  and  keeping  in  view  the  avowed  ob- 
ject of  it,  as  explained  in  the  outset,  it  were  out  of  place  to  enter 
into  any  lengthened  exposition  of  the  condition  of  Antigua,  as 
regards  morals  or  religion.  But  1  feel  that  I  were  wanting  in 
common  justice,  were  1  to  refrain  from  adding  my  testimony  in 
favour  of  the  fact,  that  the  inhabitants  of  this  island,  white, 
coloured,  and  black,  may  and  do  contrast  favourably  with  that  of 
any  city  or  place  that  I  know  of,  both  as  regards  morals,  and  at- 
tention to  religious  observances.  Nowhere,  although  a  native  of  a 
land  which  claims  some  distinction  in  this  respect,  did  I  ever  see 
the  sanctity  of  the  Sabbath  more  worthily  and  more  devoutly  recog- 
nized than  I  did  in  the  island  of  Antigua;  and  I  know  that  I 
record  the  sentiments  of  the  very  highest  authority  in  the  island, 
(a  gentleman  who  has  proved  the  sincerity  of  his  anxiety  for  the 
welfare  of  Antigua  and  her  sister  groups,)  when  I  say  that  many 
thanks  are  due  as  well  to  the  Moravian  and  Wesleyan  ministers  of 
the  gospel,  as  to  the  zealous  clergymen  of  the  Established  Church, 
in  this  portion  of  the  colonial  empire  of  Great  Britain,  for  the  edu- 
cational and  religious  position  which  Antigua  at  present  holds. 

As  regards  the  religious  establishments  at  present  in  the  island, 
they  may  be  enumerated  in  the  following  order,  and  as  consisting 
of  about  the  following  numbers ;  and  although  I  could  not  lean . 
that  there  were  any  means  of  ascertaining  exactly  the  numbers  In 
each  class,  I  have  confidence  in  the  opinion  that  the  statement  I 
obtained,  from  some  of  the  heads  of  the  diiFerent  bodies  themselves, 
will  not  prove  in  any  particular  materially  inaccurate. 

In  connexion  with  the  Established  Church  there  are  six  parish 
churches,  (including  the  cathedral  at  St.  John's,)  and  about  as  many 
chapels  of  ease  j  and  in  attendance  on  these  churches  and  chapels 
are  to  be  found  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  white  and  coloured 


popula 
thousai 
negroc 


ANTIGUA. 


51 


Is,  from  tlicir 
nd  the  extra- 
l^ards  the  first 
feet  high  has 
Diling  up  the 
is  almost  dis- 
has  attained : 
arness  of  the 
i-house  of  the 
e  intervening 
m  with  a  dis- 
i  their  "cut" 
discernible  to 
be  separated 

e  avowed  ob- 

slace  to  enter 

Antigua,  as 

e  wanting  in 

testimony  in 

dand,  white, 

'  with  that  of 

orals,  and  at- 

a  native  of  a 

id  I  ever  see 

voutly  recog- 

know  that  I 

Q  the  island, 

xiety  for  the 

ly  that  many 

ministers  of 

hed  Church, 

for  the  edu- 

at  holds. 

n  the  island, 

as  consisting 

Id  not  lean . 

numbers  in 

statement  I 

themselves. 


e 


six  parish 
out  as  many 
and  chapels 
nd  coloured 


population,  (who  are  generally  estimated  at  five  thousand  and  two 
thousand  live  hundred  respectively,)  and  about  five  thousand  of  the 
negroes.  Of  the  numbers  of  the  Moravians  1  am  enabled  to  write 
with  entire  accuracy,  having  in  my  possession  a  manuscript  statement 
with  which  I  was  favoured  by  3Ir.  Westcrby,  the  excellent  and  highly 
esteemed  superintendent  of  that  body  in  the  island.  The  Moravian 
brethren  have  in  Antigua,  at  present,  nine  churches  and  chapels, 
under  the  charge  of  ten  ministers ;  while  of  the  eight  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  six  members  of  the  population  in  connexion  with  the 
body,  six  thousand  two  hindred  and  ninety-eight  are  adults,  and,  of 
the  last-mentioned  number,  four  thousand  six  hundred  and  eight  arc 
communicants.  Nearly  the  whole  of  these  persons  are  negroes,  only 
a  few  of  them  being  of  the  coloured  population,  and  still  fewer  of 
them  white.  Following  up  the  principles  of  their  profession,  the 
Moravian  body  in  Antigua  have  already  schools  in  connexion  with 
the  churches.  They  have  at  present  nine  Sunday  schools,  which  are 
attended  by  two  thousand  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  scholars,  who, 
of  course,  are  nearly  all  negroes,  and  whose  education  is  presided 
over  by  no  less  than  one  hundred  and  six  female,  and  one  hundred 
and  seven  male  teachers.  But  certainly  none  of  the  institutions  be- 
longing to  this  excellent  body  was  visited  by  me  with  more  pleasure 
than  their  Juvenile  Training  Institution^  at  the  time  of  my  visit 
under  the  charge  and  management  of  the  lleverend  A.  Hamilton,  a 
native  of  Scotland.  I  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  visiting  it  in  the 
society  of  the  Governor-General,  who  was  desirous  of  judging  for 
himself  of  its  state  and  efficiency ;  and  although  at  the  time  I  did 
so  the  premises  were  in  confusion,  from  the  efiects  of  the  severe  hur- 
ricane of  the  preceding  year,  and  of  the  building  measures  in  opera- 
tion to  remedy  its  disastrous  efiects,  I  saw  enough  to  impress  mo 
with  a  strong  conviction  of  the  utility  of  such  an  establishment  for 
supplying  the  means  of  illumination  in  many  a  dark  and  desolate 
corner  of  the  globe,  and  among  many  a  benighted  nation  and  tribe 
of  the  human  race.  The  object  of  the  establishment,  which  is  en- 
tirely supported  by  contributions  of  the  United  Brethren,  and  of  their 
friends — payments  by  the  parents  of  the  childrer.  being  entirely 
voluntary — is  to  bring  up  native  boys  in  every  department  of  know- 
ledge, at  the  same  time  teaching  them  some  manual  trade,  (in  accord- 
ance with  the  usual  Moravian  discipline,  which  recognizes,  in  its 
fullest  extent,  the  dignity  as  well  as  the  necessity  of  supporting  one's 
self  by  one's  own  labour,)  so  as  to  fit  and  prepare  them  for  being 
missionaries  and  clergymen,  to  proclaim  the  gospel  of  Jesus  where- 
ever  they  may  be  called,  and  particularly  in  tropical  regions ;  thereby 
supplying  not  only  more  labourers  for  Moravian  missions  in  every 
part  of  the  world,  but  saving  the  funds  of  the  body,  a  large  portion 
of  which  is  necessarily  expended  every  year  in  defraying  the  travel- 


52 


ANTIGUA. 


ling  and  other  expenses  of  their  teachers  and  their  preachers,  as  they 
journey  from  Europe  to  all  parts  of  the  known  world,  the  tropics 
included.  The  number  of  pupils  under  Mr.  Hamilton's  charge,  in 
the  summer  of  1849,  was  seventeen.  Their  ages  varied  from  six  to 
fourteen  years,  and  they  were  of  all  shades,  from  the  face  of  the  fair- 
white  of  the  northern  clime  to  the  coal-black  of  the  genuine  African. 
But  colour  made  no  diflference,  either  in  their  aptitude  for  learning, 
or  in  their  treatment  by  their  kind  preceptor.  Black,  brown,  and 
fair,  answered  the  somewhat  puzzling  questions  (for  children)  put  to 
them  by  the  Governor,  &c. ;  and  all  were  so  obviously  on  an  equal 
footing,  that  the  teacher  might  fairly  have  inscribed  over  the  door  of 
his  establishment  Virgil's  celebrated  line — 

"  Tros  TjTriusvo  mihi  nuUo  discrimine  agetur."  >. 

Of  the  seventeen  boys,  ten  were  from  various  British  possessions 
in  the  West  Indies,  -md  the  rest  from  the  Spanish  and  Danish 
colonies ;  but  all  of  them  claimed  for  themselves  the  title  of  English- 
man, when  asked  to  what  country  they  belonged. 

Next  to  the  Moravians,  the  Wesleyan  Methodists  are  the  most 
nunicrous  body  of  dissenters  in  Antigua.  They  have  seven  chapels, 
beside  preaching-stations,  in  the  island,  and  the  largest  of  their  cha- 
pels is  that  in  the  town  of  St.  John's,  which  is  capable  of  holding 
two  thousand  people,  and  is  generally,  if  not  always,  filled.  I  have 
a  very  vivid  recollection  of  this  larga  meeting-house,  from  the  fact 
of  its  being  the  first  place  of  worshij)  filled  with  a  black  congregation 
I  had  ever  in  my  life  seen.  I  visited  it  on  the  evening  of  the  very 
first  day  I  spent  in  the  island^  and  at  the  time  when,  as  yet,  I  was 
entirely  unacquainted  with  any  one  in  it ;  and  the  scene  impressed 
me  with  all  the  force  of  novelty. 

Besides  the  derominations  already  mentioned,  there  is  a  small 
body  of  Scotch  Presbyterians,  who  rejoice  in  one  of  the  most  singularly 
ugly  specimens  of  architecture,  in  the  shape  of  a  church,  that  it  has 
ever  been  my  fortune  to  see ;  and,  strangely  enough,  this  unsightly 
object  (which  looks  like  half  a  church  surmounted  by  a  meat  safe) 
occupies  the  most  prominent  position  about  the  town — the  site  of  the 
cathedral  not  excepted. 

The  stranger  visiting  St.  John's,  should  certainly  visit  an  institu- 
tion there,  denominated  the  Soup  House — an  institution  which  is,  all 
circumstances  considered,  one  of  the  most  creditable  to  be  found  in 
the  West  Indies.  Like  most  otne^*  establishments  in  St.  John's, 
having  for  their  beneficent  object  the  relief  of  human  want,  and  the 
alleviation  of  human  suffering,  or  the  improvement  of  human  nature, 
this  institution  is  mainly  indebted  for  its  origin  and  foundation,  and 
subsequent  progress^  to  liie  exertions  of  the  Key.  Archdeacon  Hol- 


i 


ANTIGUA. 


53 


achcrs,  as  tbcy 
Id,  the  tropics 
q's  charge,  iu 
ed  from  six  to 
ice  of  the  fair- 
tiuine  African, 
e  for  learning, 
k,  brown,  and 
lildren)  put  to 
Y  on  an  equal 
'er  the  door  of 


sh  possessions 
and  Danish 
tie  of  English- 
are  the  most 
seven  chapels, 
of  their  cha- 
le  of  holding 
lied.     I  have 
rora  the  fact 
congregation 
of  the  very 
IS  yet,  I  was 
me  impressed 

e  is  a  small 
ost  singularly 
h,  that  it  has 
lis  unsightly 
a  meat  safe) 
he  site  of  the 

t  an  institu- 
which  is,  all 
be  found  in 
I  St.  John's, 
rant,  and  the 
aman  nature, 
ndation,  and 
deacon  Hol- 


I 


i 


berton — a  clergyman  whose  beneficent  efforts,  in  the  cause  of  Chris- 
tian benevolence,  all  classes  in  the  island  agree  in  eulogising. 

The  Soup  House  is  so  called  from  its  having  originated  in  a  humble 
endeavour  to  supply  soup  to  the  indigent — its  origin  being  so  lowly 
that  the  first  boiling  or  brewing  took  place  under  the  shade  of  a 
tamarind-tree  still  in  existence.  To  the  soup  or  kitchen  department 
there  has  been  added  an  infirmary,  a  separate  sailor's  hospital  in  a 
different  part  of  the  town,  and  near  the  sea,  and  a  lazar-house  for 
the  reception  of  patients  deformed  by  that  awful  species  of  leprosy 
which  attacks  the  black  population  (at  least  I  did  not  see  any  white 
or  coloured  victims)  in  these  islands.  When  I  visited  the  institution, 
there  were  one  hundred  and  thirty  patients  in  the  infirmary  and 
sailors'  hospital,  and  nearly  thirty  in  the  lazar-house ;  but  these  are 
of  course  in  addition  to  the  numerous  body  receiving  outdoor  relief. 
The  whole  expense  at  present  does  not  much  exceed  £100  per  month, 
and  the  means  of  expenditure  are  supplied  partly  by  private  subscrip- 
tion, and  partly  by  grants  from  the  local  legislature. 

In  connexion  with  the  history  of  this  institution,  there  is  a  cir- 
cumstance which  I  think  worth  recording,  as  strongly  illustrative  of 
the  truth  that  man  may  iiropose,  but  that  it  is  the  Almighty  who 
diqwses  in  all  matters.  The  room  which  forms  the  place  of  meeting 
for  the  directors  or  committee  of  management  is  a  wooden  one,  and 
the  minutes  entered  in  the  minute-book,  on  the  forenoon  of  the  very 
day  on  which  the  great  earthquake  of  1843  occurred,  contains  a  re- 
solution to  the  effect  that  the  timber  building  should  be  replaced  by 
a  stone  one.  Tiie  earthquake  came,  however,  and  confirmed  every  one 
in  the  conviction  that  wooden  erections  were  safer  than  stone  build- 
ings in  such  a  country.  It  is  unnecessary  to  say  that  the  resolution 
of  the  minute  was  never  carried  into  effect. 

A  calm  fine  day  in  the  tropics  is  certainly  productiv  3  of  feelings 
of  extreme  delight.  Where  every  day  or  nearly  every  day,  during 
the  dry  season,  is  clear  and  fine,  it  may  seen  difficult  to  give  a  pre- 
ference to  one  over  another.  So  thought  I,  until,  in  the  quietude  of 
a  friend's  house,  in  the  month  of  May,  in  about  the  centre  of  the 
island,  I  passed  a  whole  forenoon,  and  nearly  a  whole  day,  in  con- 
templating the  beautiful  calmness  and  clearness  of  the  scene.  Not 
a  cloud  in  the  sky ;  not  a  mist  on  the  earth — 

"  So  calm,  so  pure,  it  seemod  as  'twere 
The  bridal  of  the  earth  and  sky." 

Nothing  to  break  the  calm  silence  of  the  scene,  save  the  occasional 
chaunt  of  a  negro  band,  who  were  engaged,  at  some  distance,  putting 
up  the  sails  of  a  windmill,  and  whoso  chorus,  rude  and  imperfectly 
heard  as  it  was,  sounded  pleasantly  on  the  ear,  as  the  indication  of 
light  hearts.     Such  was  one  of  the  days  I  passed  in  the  country  in 


1 1 

i 


54 


ANTIGUA. 


ii.  '!  1 


1^'^   '    1 


Antigua,  and  there  were  many  such  passed  in  the  enjoyment,  of  the 
domestic  circle  of  my  friends  in  that  island.  But  it  has  been  often 
before  remarked,  that  not  unfrequently  it  is  the  time  most  pleasantly 
spent  that  presents  fewest  occurrences  to  record. 

I  have  above  referred  to  the  earthquake  which  visited  Antigua, 
and  her  sister  islands  of  the  Leeward  group,  in  the  year  1843.  Of 
this  awful  convulsion,  as  well  as  of  the  severe  hurricane  which 
swept  over  some  of  the  same  islands,  traces  are  still  to  be  found  in 
every  part  of  Antigua.  Churches  blown  down,  forest-trees  uprooted, 
houses  destroyed,  and  negro  huts  upturned,  prove  how  fearful  these 
convulsions  must  have  been.  Nor  will  the  evidences  of  its  severity 
seem  less,  if  gathered  from  the  testimonies  of  the  numerous  suf- 
ferers. Every  one  you  meet  with,  who  was  in  the  island  at  the 
time,  has  something  to  tell  both  of  the  earthquake  and  of  the  hur- 
ricane ;  and  the  details  I  heard  were  such  that  I  was  surprised  that 
I  had  not  heard  more  at  home  upon  the  subject,  and  that  greater 
efforts  had  not  been  made,  by  the  home  Government  and  the  pub- 
lic, to  aid  our  colonial  brethren  under  these  severe  dispensations. 
Sure  am  I  that  the  treasures  of  England  have  been  squandered 
where  there  was  infinitely  less  of  suffering,  and  infinitely  less  of 
claim. 

In  connexion  with  the  earthquake,  I  heard  an  anecdote  of  a 
negro  overseer,  which  displayed  as  much  coolness,  under  circum- 
stances of  danger,  as  any  story  I  ever  heard.  The  earthquake  made 
itself  felt  by  repeated  and  successive  shocks,  or  shakes,  each  of 
some  minutes'  duration,  during  which  the  earth  heaved  and  seemed 
to  reel,  so  that  it  was  impossible  to  stand  steady ;  and  many  lay 
down  on  the  ground  or  floor  till  the  shaking  subsided. 

During  one  of  the  lulls,  which  were  marked  by  a  deep  stillness, 
the  proprietor  of  one  of  the  finest  estates  in  the  island  rose  up,  and, 
as  he  graphically  expressed  it,  "  after  steadying  himself  on  his 
feet,"  went  out  to  see  what  injury  had  been  done  by  the  antecedent 
shocks  to  the  buildings  of  his  sugar-works.  On  passing  one  of  his 
cane-fields,  he  was  surprised  to  find  a  band  of  negro  girls  hoeing 
canes,  under  the  charge  of  a  negro  overseer,  who  accosted  him  coolly 
with  the  observation — "  Bad  shake  that,  Massa,"  and  then  turned 
round  to  one  of  the  girls  who  (alarmed  by  the  earthquake)  was 
moving  off  to  some  place  of  imagined  safety, — "  You,  Miss  Dina, 
you  come  here;  you  no  'top  de  shake,  can  you  ?" 

To  the  person  fresh  from  Europe,  there  is  much  information,  as 
well  as  amusement,  to  be  found  in  watching  the  peculiarities  of 
the  negro  character.  At  least  I  found  it  so ;  and,  without  mean- 
ing to  be  a  eulogiser  of  the  negro  and  his  capabilities,  I  must  say 
I  saw  and  heard  much  to  satisfy  me  that  the  negro  race  is  capable 
of  advancing  to  a  high  position  in  intelligence  and  civilisation. 


SAILS  TO  ST.  KITT'S. 


55 


rment.  of  the 
IS  been  often 
}st  pleasantly 

ted  Antigua, 
arl843.  Of 
•icane  which 
)  be  found  in 
ses  uprooted, 
fearful  these 
f  its  severity 
umerous  suf- 
island  at  the 
i  of  the  hur- 
iirprised  that 

that  greater 
anc'  the  pub- 
ifp.^nsations. 

squandered 
litely  less  of 

lecdote  of  a 
ader  circum- 
iquake  made 
jes,  each  of 
and  seemed 
id  many  lay 

ep  stillness, 
ose  up,  and, 
iself  on  his 
e  antecedent 
one  of  his 
lirls  hoeing 
1  him  coolly 
then  turned 
iqaake)  was 
Miss  Dina, 

)rmation,  as 
uliarities  of 
ihout  mean- 
I  must  say 
e  is  capable 
civilisation. 


Centuries  of  misrule  and  injustice  may  require  something  like  cen- 
turies of  good  government  and  justice  to  atone  for  their  depreciating 
and  brutalising  effects ;  but  already,  in  the  British  West  India  pos- 
sessions, the  negro  has  proved  that  he  is  quite  fitted  for  the  exer- 
cise of  most  of  the  rights  of  a  freeman.  In  the  legislatures  of 
many  of  the  islands  there  are  already  sundry  negro  members,  and 
in  most  of  them  there  are  to  be  found  many  gentlemen  of  colour, 
having  a  large  supply  of  negro  blood  in  their  veins,  who  are  in  no 
way  inferior,  and  in  some  cases  superior,  to  some  at  least  of  their 
white  brethren,  in  the  discretion  and  ability  with  which  they  dis- 
I  charge  their  legislative  functions ;  while,  throughout  the  mass  of 
the  negro  population,  there  will  be  found,  if  the  traveller  takes  the 
trouble  of  investigating  for  himself,  an  amount  of  smartness  and 
intelligence  which  will  in  many  cases  surprise  him. 

Popular  sayings  in  common  use  among  these  descendants  of  the 
sons  of  Africa  are  ofttimes  very  amusing.  "When  cattle*  lose  tail, 
w^o  for  brush  fly  ?"  is  the  common  negro  form  for  pointing  out 
how  essential  one  person  is  to  another :  "  Night  no  hab  eye,"  is 
the  apology  for  a  negro  woman's  evening  dishabille  :  and  "  When 
cockroach  gib  dance,  him  no  ask  fowl,"  was  the  explanation  given 
by  a  negro  to  a  friend  and  myself,  when  charged  by  us  with  a 
breach  of  contract  in  not  getting  us  an  invitation  to  a  "  Dignity 
ball." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

**  Be  not  afear'd,  the  Isle  is  full  of  noises. 
Sounds,  and  sweet  airs,  that  give  delight  and  hurt  not." 

SllAKSPEARE. 

♦'  So  freshly  fair  are  everywhere  the  features  of  the  scene, 
That  earth  appears  a  resting-place  where  angels  might  alight, 
As  if  sorrow  ne'er  a  visitant  in  human  breast  had  been, 
And  the  verdure  of  the  summer  months  had  never  suffered  blight." — ^ 

It  was  with  much  regret — a  regret  which  only  the  conviction 
that  the  further  progress  in  my  journeyings  was  bringing  me  nearer 
to  the  time  when  I  should  be  privileged  to  turn  my  face  and  steps 
homewards  "  from  wandering  on  a  foreign  strand,"  that,  at  tho 
hour  or  midnight,  I  embarked  on  board  the  small  and  very  dirty 
sloop  licnrietta,  to  sail  from  Antigua  to  St.  Kitt's ;  and  the  fact 
that  even  at  that  hour  I  was  accompanied  to  the  boat  by  sundry 
kind  friends,  whose  acquaintance  had  enlivened  my  stay  in  tho 

•  Throughout  the  West  Indies  yon  scklom  hear  of  a  bull,  an  ox,  a  cow,  &c. ;  the 
word  is  "  cattle,"  used  in  the  singular  as  •well  as  in  tho  plural. 


56 


ST.  KITT'S. 


I  • 


island  of  Antigua,  and  who  will  ever  endear  the  recollection  of  it, 
certainly  did  not  tend  to  lessen  my  feelings  of  depression. 

Sailing  down  through  the  islands — or,  in  other  words,  going  in  the 
direction  of  the  trade-wind — is  a  very  easy  matter ;  and  it  was  there- 
fore, despite  the  indifferent  character  of  the  Henrietta,  (which  cer- 
tainly would  not  have  been  classed  A  1  at  Lloyd's,)  that  early  next 
forenoon,  and  after  running  through  the  "Narrows,"  between  St. 
Kitt's  and  Nevis,  I  came  in  sight  of  my  destined  port  of  Basseterre, 
in  the  truly  lovely  and  romantic  little  island  of  St.  Kitts. 

It  had  blown  somewhat  strongly  during  the  night ;  and,  pent  up 
within  the  very  limited  accommodation  of  the  little  vessel,  I  had 
suffered  a  few  hours  of  considerable  discomfort.  But  as  the  day 
dawned,  and  brightened  into  sunshine,  any  feeling  of  depression  was 
speedily  dispelled.  Indeed  the  scene  would  have  gladdened  the  heart 
of  an  anchorite.  The  island  of  Nevis,  with  its  lofty  cone-like  summit 
lying  on  the  left^  St.  Kitt's,  with  its  fertile  plains  in  near  view,  and 
the  frowning  summit  of  Mount  Misery  in  the  background, — a  little 
rocky  islet  called  "  Booby  Isle"  lying  between  the  two,  and  in  the 
middle  of  the  "  Narrows,"  formed  together  an  inspiriting  view,  par- 
ticularly as  the  sea  between  was  studded  over  with  numerous  small 
tishing-boats  under  sail,  the  navigators  of  which  displayed  no  little 
skill,  as,  occasionally  racing  with  the  Henrietta,  they  glided  in  and 
out,  with  easy  swan-like  motion,  from  under  the  high  lands  on  the 
coasts  of  both  the  islands  of  Nevis  and  St.  Kitt's.  It  was  thus  that 
we  approached  and  arrived  at  the  island  of 

ST.  CimiSTOPHER'S,  OR  ST.  KITT'S, 

Situated  sixty  miles  west  of  Antigua,  in  north  latitude  17°  15',  and 
west  longitude  63°  17',  and  deriving  its  name  from  the  circumstance 
that  the  devout  Colon  and  his  followers  saw,  or  imagined  they  saw, 
(which  is  just  the  same  thing)  in  the  extraordinary  shape  of  the 
summit  of  its  strangely  named  principal  mountain,  "  Mount  Misery," 
a  resemblance  to  one  man  carrying  another  on  his  back ;  while  St. 
Christopher  is  generally  painted  as  a  giant  carrying  our  Saviour.  Of 
the  population  of  St.  Kitt's  there  has  not  been  any  very  recent 
census ;  but  the  general  estimate  of  twenty-five  thousand  cannot  be 
very  far  from  correct.  Its  contents  are  about  seventy  square  miles, 
and  with  this  population,  and  within  these  confined  limits,  St.  Kitt's 
contains  as  many  of  the  elements  of  attraction  as  probably  any  other 
place  within  the  line  of  the  tropics. 

While,  of  late  years,  the  attention  of  invalids,  both  in  Europe  and 
in  America,  seems  to  have  been  more  directed  than  formerly  to  the 
West  Indian  Islands  as  places  of  sanitary  resort,  I  observe  a  some- 
what prominent  place  has  been  assigned  to  the  island  of  Jamaica. 


gout, 


ST.  KITT'S. 


57 


lection  of  it, 

don. 

,  going  in  the 

it  was  tbere- 
i,  (which  cer- 
at  early  next 

between  St. 
•f  Basseterre, 
ts. 

and,  pent  up 
ressel,  I  had 
I  as  the  day 
3pression  was 
aed  the  heart 
i-like  summit 
jar  view,  and 
md, — a  little 
»,  and  in  the 
Dg  view,  par- 
merous  small 
fed  no  little 
;lided  in  and 
lands  on  the 
ras  thus  that 


7°  15',  and 
jircumstance 
jd  they  saw, 
hape  of  the 
int  Misery," 
;  while  St. 
Saviour.  Of 
very  recent 
d  cannot  be 
:juare  miles, 
;s,  St.  Kitt's 
ly  any  other 

Europe  and 
nerly  to  the 
Tve  a  sorae- 
)f  Jamaica. 


When  I  come  to  that  part  of  my  journeyings  which  treats  of  impres- 
sions and  experiences  in  that  romantic  island,  I  trust,  as  I  believe, 
it  will  not  be  found  that  I  was  insensible  to  the  many  beautiful  and 
ofltimes  awfully  grand  scenes  with  which  the  "  Island  of  Springs" 
so  plenteously  abounds.  But  for  the  present  I  have  to  do  with  tho 
fairy  island  of  St.  Kitt's ;  and  truth  compels  me  to  say  that,  tota  re 
perspectdy  looking  back  through  the  whole  vista  of  my  journeyings 
by  land  and  by  water,  amid  the  luxuriant  scenery  of  the  tropics,  my 
heart  dwells  upon  St.  Kitt's,  and  its  scenery  and  society,  with  a 
peculiar  pleasure  and  a  heartfelt  satisfaction.  The  very  first  view  of 
the  island  is  exceedingly  pleasing  and  inspiriting.  Basseterre,  the 
capital,  (for  of  course  every  island  must  have  its  capital,)  is  in  itself 
but  a  poor  town,  or,  if  my  Kittyfonian  (for  that,  it  seems,  is  the 
generic  appellation  given  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  isle)  friends  will 
forgive  the  expression,  but  a  poor  village ;  but  the  valley  in  which 
Basseterre  lies—there  lies  the  charm  !  Green  velvet  is  the  image 
tbat  rises  to  the  mind  when  I  would  seek  to  give  an  idea  of  the 
greenness  of  the  lovely  vale,  at  the  bottom  of  which  stands  the  town 
of  Basseterre. 

During  the  occupancy  by  the  French  of  this  part  of  the  island, 
the  town  of  Basseterre  was  erected  by  them,  the  English  capital, 
"  Sandy  Point,"  being  at  the  other  end  of  the  island  j  and  the  choice 
of  the  site  of  Basseterre,  as  compared  with  that  of  Sandy  Point,  goes 
far  to  justify  the  Frenchman's  sarcasm  against  my  fellow-countrymen, 
that  while  nature  has  given  to  the  children  of  La  Belle  France  her 
gout,  she  has  bequeathed  to  the  sons  of  Albion  only  her  gout. 

Were  I  to  write  of  the  climate  and  scenery  of  St.  Kitt's,  according 
to  the  impressions  that  arise  as  they  are  now  recalled — were  I  even 
to  note  down  the  simple  memoranda  regarding  the  island,  which  I 
find  entered  in  my  journal  at  the  time — I  fear  I  would  seem  to  many 
to  be  using  the  language  of  eulogistic  exaggeration.  Warm  the 
climate  certainly  is ;  hot,  ofttimes  disagreeably  so,  at  least  in  the 
town  or  in  the  valley.  But  that  the  sojourner  in  the  tropics  must 
lay  his  account  with.  But  during  those  parts  of  the  months  of 
March  and  of  April  when  I  had  the  pleasure  of  sojourning  in  Govern- 
ment House  in  the  island  of  St.  Kitt's,  I  did  not,  on  any  occasion 
that  I  remember,  or  have  noted,  find  the  heat  very  oppressive  even 
in  the  town  or  valley.  While  on  the  coast,  or  while  riding  up  the 
gentle,  grassy,  verdant  acclivities  of  the  mountains,  the  breeze  that 
constantly  blows,  or  rather  plays,  around  the  traveller  gives  a  deli- 
cious coolness  to  the  balmy  atmosphere,  that  must  be  felt  to  be 
appreciated.  A  better  place  for  tho  winter  sojourn  of  the  invalid, 
whose  lungs  are  too  delicate,  or  too  much  impaired,  to  stand  the 
bitter  colds  and  rude  blasts  of  northern  climes,  cannot  possibly  be 
conceived.   With  the  American  Madeira,  Santa  Cruz,  and  the  moun- 


58 


ST.  KITT'S. 


tain  salubrities  of  Jamaica,  fresh  in  my  recollection,  I  give  the  pre- 
ference to  St.  Christopher's ;  and  I  trust,  ore  I  close  these  descriptive 
sketches,  to  give  at  least  some  justifying  grounds  for  my  preference 
of  this  island,  or  of  the  immediately  adjoining  islet  of  Nevis,  (and 
the  two  may  be  considered  as  one  in  this  respect,)  as  a  place  of  sani- 
tary resort. 

33ut  while  I  thus  write  of  the  climate,  I  would  write  in  still 
more  enthusiastic  terms  of  the  scenery  of  St.  Kitt's;  and,  reader, 
if  you  believe  me  not,  I  pray  you  read  the  eloquent  description  of 
Coleridge,  and  if  you  deny  credence  to  us  both,  then  I  pray  you 
make  some  apology  for  going  to  judge  for  yourself;  for,  rest  as- 
sured that,  until  you  have  seen  "  Nine-turn  Gut,"  in  the  island  of 
St.  Christopher's,  and  some  of  the  deep  and  thickly  wooded  glens 
of  this  enchanting  island,  you  have  not  seen  some  of  the  finest 
portions  and  most  romantic  scenes  in  this  fair  world  of  ours. 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  attempt  anything  like  a  detailed  de- 
scription of  the  scenery  which  excited  these  observations.  De- 
scription is  not  my  forte.  But  there  is  one  part  of  the  island  I 
cannot  permit  myself  to  refrain  from  describing ;  and  I  am  the 
more  disposed  to  note  down  its  memorabilia,  from  the  fact  that  the 
writer  I  have  already  alluded  to,  Mr.  Henry  Nelson  Coleridge, 
expresses  his  exceeding  regret  that  he  had  not  been  able  to  find 
time  to  visit  it. 

The  scenery  alluded  to  is  that  which  presents  itself  in  the  course 
of  the  ride  through  and  across  the  mountains,  near  the  centre  of 
the  island,  and  which  leads  the  visitor  into  a  very  remarkable  flat 
plain,  situated  in  the  midst  of  the  hill  country,  at  an  elevation  of 
at  least  two  thousand  five  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea. 
This  plain  is  said  by  Coleridge  (on  report)  and  others,  to  be  simi- 
lar in  its  character  to  the  plains  between  the  Cordilleras  of  Upper 
Peru.  In  this  place  most  of  the  fruits  and  vegetables  of  Europe 
may  be  and  have  been  grown.  The  plain  referred  to  rejoices  in 
the  cognomen  of  "Spooner's  Level;"  and  to  understand  the  char- 
acteristic features  of  the  beautiful  and  romantic  ride  which  leads 
you  through  it,  the  following  short  description  of  the  formation  of 
the  island  is  necessary. 

The  interior  of  St  Kitt's  may  be  said  to  be  composed  of  a  moun- 
tain, or  rather  of  a  congeries  of  mountains,  drawing  towards  a 
centre  and  an  apex,  which  latter  is  formed  by  the  frowning  crag 
and  summit  of  "  Mount  Misery."  Towards  this  mount  of  evil 
name,  the  wood-crowned  summits  tend  in  every  direction — split, 
splintered,  and  separated  by  deep  fissures,  chasms,  rents,  and  glens 
— some  of  them  with  streamlets  flowing  at  their  bottoms,  deep  hid 
by  the  foliage  from  human  vision,  and  only  found  to  be  existing 
by  the  trickling  sound,  or  by  the  boy's  expedient  of  throwing 


ST.  KITT'S. 


59 


give  the  pre- 
le  descriptive 
y  preference 
Nevis,  (and 
place  of  gani- 

prite  in  still 

and,  reader, 

escription  of 

I  pray  you 

for,  rest  as- 

the  island  of 

vooded  glens 

of  the  finest 

■  ours. 

detailed  de- 

ations.     De- 

the  island  I 

d  I  am  the 

fact  that  the 

n  Coleridge, 

able  to  find 

n  the  course 
he  centre  of 
aarkable  flat 
elevation  of 

of  the  sea. 

to  be  simi- 
as  of  Upper 
s  of  Europe 

rejoices  in 
nd  the  char- 
wliich  leads 
'ormation  of 

of  a  moun- 
towards  a 
>\vning  crag 
unt  of  evil 
jtion — split, 
,  and  glens 
IS,  deep  hid 
be  existing 
f  throwing 


down  a  stone  and  counting  the  moments  ere  the  splash  indicates 
its  arrival  at  the  water.  In  crossing  these  ravines,  so  as  to  pass 
right  through  the  island,  from  the  one  side  of  it  to  the  other,  by 
the  narrow  bridle-path  which  formed  the  line  of  demarcation  dur- 
ing the  joint  occupation  of  England  and  of  France,  it  is  necessary 
to  wind  by  an  extremely  tortuous  course,  up  and  down  the  sides 
of  these  ravines — all  parts  of  these  ravines  (as  indeed  is  nearly 
the  whole  congeries  of  mountains)  being  clothed  and  covered  by  a 
great  variety  of  trees  of  great  height,  and  generally  of  the  most 
gigantic  proportions.  The  mango,  silk  cotton-tree,  bread-tree, 
bread-nut  tree,  palms  of  various  kinds,  cacao  and  cocoa-nut  trees, 
tamarind-tree,  red  and  white  cedars,  and  a  host  of  other  tropical 
forest  trees  and  flowering  shrubs,  clothe,  crest,  and  adorn  the 
mountain  sides  almost  to  their  very  summits,  and  the  deep  dells  to 
their  very  lowest  and  innermost  recesses — aJordIng  ample  hiding- 
places  for  the  various  members  of  the  monkey  tribe,  which  are  nu- 
merous in  St.  Kitt's,  and  which  may  occasionally  be  seen,  at  dif- 
ferent points,  as  they  scamper  off"  on  the  signal  being  given  by  the 
sentinel  or  fugleman,  who  is  first  seen,  being  stationed  by  the  gene- 
ral troop  to  give  timely  warning  of  approaching  danger.  Apropos 
of  monkeys.  It  is  not  easy  to  disabuse  the  negro  of  the  convic- 
tion that  the  monkey  is  not  endowed  with  powers  of  reason,  similar, 
if  not  equal,  to  those  of  man.  Sambo  may  not  now  carry  his 
views  the  length  of  maintaining  that  the  monkey's  refusal  to  make 
use  of  the  gift  of  speech,  proceeds  from  the  fear  that,  if  he  spoke, 
Massa  would  set  him  to  work  :  but  on  several  occasions  I  have 
heard  the  negro  and  coloured  boatmen  ascribe  to  the  monkey  tribe 
powers  of  memory  and  of  reason  little  short  of  human.  Indeed 
it  is  difficult  to  hear  such  tales,  oft  repeated  and  seemingly  authen- 
ticated, without  admitting  that  this  ''caricature  on  humanity" 
trenches  in  some  degree  on  man's  "  high  prerogative  "  of  reason. 
That  the  monkeys  bury  their  dead  in  regularly  prepared  graves, 
and  that  they  even  attend  to^funeral  processions  and  obsequies,  as 
men  do,  is  a  statement  I  have  ofttimes  heard  made,  and  attempted 
to  be  authenticated  by  the  averment  that  the  asscrtor  had  seen 
them  engaged  in  the  "  duty,"  as  well  as  enforced  by  the  argument 
that  the  dead  body  of  a  monkey  is  never  seen  in  the  woods.  An- 
other equally  prevalent  belief  is,  that  if  the  tribe  is  ofi'ended  in 
any  way  by  a  particular  party,  they  will  find  out  that  particular 
person's  ground,  and  under  cloud  of  night  root  up  his  sweet  pota- 
toes, and  otherwise  despoil  his  possessions.  At  all  events,  one  f:ict 
is  well  known,  and  it  is  this,  that  the  gestures  of  an  irate  monkey 
are  very  much  those  of  an  angry  man,  and  as  emphatically,  and 
by  the  same  signs,  indicate  a  hope  and  an  intention  of  future  re- 
venge.    A  friend  with  whom  I  hrd  been  staying  had  some  time 


60 


ST.  KITT'S. 


previously  shot  a  young  monkey,  and  he  described  the  threatening 
attitudes  of  the  mother,  shaking  her  fist  and  otherwise  plainly  pro- 
mising an  hour  of  retributive  justice,  as  something  very  like  the 
act  ons  of  a  human  being. 

But  to  return  to  the  scenery  of  the  ride  to  "  Spoone^Vi  Level." 
Mention  has  been  already  made  of  the  variety  and  magnificence  of 
the  trees  and  shrubs.  Some  of  these  have  been  referred  to  by 
their  names  or  kinds.  It  were,  however,  to  leave  out  one  of  the 
characteristics  of  the  scene,  not  to  make  special  mention  of  tbo 
tree  or  tree-like  ferns,  although  many  of  my  readers  may  feel  some 
surprise  at  finding  these  clabsed  among  the  genus  "  arbor."  Whe- 
ther the  ferns  belonged  to  the  vegetable  or  to  the  woody  kingdom, 
they  formed  very  striking  objects  in  the  scenery  under  description, 
and  fully  and  ably  sustained  the  character  of  forest  trees.  They 
were  occasionally  seen  separately,  but  much  more  frequently  in 
thick  groves  standing  like  palm-trees — 

"  With  feathery  tufts  like  plumage  rare;"^ 

their  stems  of  fifteen  to  eighteen  inches  thick,  and  reaching  to  a 
height  of  fifty  or  sixty  feet,  with  their  branching  tops  covering  over 
the  head,  like  an  umbrella.  Nor  are  these  trees  or  tree-like  ferns 
only  beautiful ;  they  are  also  occasionally  applied  to  useful  purposes. 
The  wood,  though  soft,  is  durable,  and  makes  tolerable  suppoi  ' 
when  the  weight  to  be  borne  is  not  very  great.  They  are  also  some- 
times used  for  fences. 

About  midway  between  the  two  sides  of  the  island,  is  the  place 
I  have  already  mentioned  as  "  Spooner's  Level" — a  plain,  or  rather 
two  plains,  each  of  several  hundred  acres  in  extent,  covered  with  ex- 
cellent pasture,  interspersed  here  and  there  with  patches  of  "  guava 
bushes,"  and,  being  at  the  elevation  before  stated,  luxuriating  in  a 
climate  of  a  cool  temperature,  the  luxury  of '  which  can  only  be  fully 
appreciated  by  those  who  have  been  previously  broiled  by  the  mid- 
day heat  of  the  plains  below. 

I  was  told  that,  not  many  years  ago,  this  spot  had  been  chosen  by 
an  island  resident,  as  the  location  where  to  spend  his  "  honeymoon ;" 
and,  solitary  and  rather  inaccessible  as  it  was,  I  thought  the  selection 
argued  no  small  amount  of  good  taste,  either  on  the  part  of  the  lady 
fair  or  of  the  gentleman,  or  perchance  of  both. 

The  pathway  up  to  "  the  level,"  and  again  down  to  the  road  on 
the  other  side,  is  narrow,  and  sometimes  a  little  difficult  without  being 
dangerous.  The  hurricane  of  1848,  the  vestiges  of  which  are  to  be 
seen  in  most  of  the  islands  forming  the  Leeward  group,  had  blown 
down  some  of  the  forest  trees,  and  thrown  them  across  the  road ;  and, 
to  overcome  these  obstructions,  it  was  on  two  occasions  necessary  for 
myself  and  friend,  Mr.  R ,  to  take  the  saddles  olf  the  horses^ 


NEVIS. 


61 


e  threatening 
3  plainly  pro- 
very  like  the 

•ne^-'fi  Level." 
agnillconce  of 
eferred  to  by 
at  one  of  the 
ention  of  tho 
nay  feel  some 
rbor."  Whe- 
jdy  kingdom, 
sr  description, 
trees.  They 
frequently  in 


reaching  to  a 
covering  over 
tree-like  ferns 
eful  purposes, 
able  siippoi  ' 
ire  also  some- 

d,  is  the  place 
ain,  or  rather 
'^ered  with  ex- 
es of  "  guava 
suriating  in  a 
only  be  fully 
by  the  mid- 

!en  chosen  by 

loneymoon )' 

the  selection 

rt  of  the  lady 

0  the  road  on 
(vithout  being 
lich  are  to  be 
p,  had  blown 
le  road ;  and, 
necessary  for 
'  the  horses^ 


and  cause  the  animals  almost  to  creep  through  beneath  the  trunks  of 
the  trees  that  stretched  across  the  road.  On  clearing  the  woods,  and 
at  various  parts  of  the  ride,  there  is  to  be  seen  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful marine  views  which  the  mind  can  conceive.  The  islands  of 
Antigua,  Montserrat,  Nevis,  St.  Eustatia,  Saba,  St.  Martin's  and  St. 
Bartholomew,  all  reposing  in  the  bosom  of  the  clear  tropic  sea;  that 
sea  generally  in  a  state  of  heaving  quietude,  and  the  whole  enlivened 
with  ships  under  sail,  seen  here  and  there  in  near  view,  or  on  the 
very  verge  of  the  far-off  horizon. 

Having  descended  from  the  level  on  the  other  side  by  a  tortuous 
mountain  path,  a  ride  of  eight  miles  or  so  takes  the  tourist  to  Bas- 
seterre; or,  turning  to  the  left,  he  will  be  well  repaid  by  riding 
round  the  island  by  the  shores  of  Deep  Bay,  and  through  the  town 
of  Sandy  Point ;  and  thence  onwards  to  Basseterre,  passing  by  and 
under  the  romantic  rock  of  Brimstone  Hill,  on  which  the  fortifica- 
tions and  garrisons  are  placed. 

Among  the  chief  recommendations  of  St.  Kitt's,  as  a  place  of 
temporary  residence  for  the  invalid,  I  reckon  its  vicinity  to  the 
island  of 

NEVIS, 

Situated  in  north  latitude  17°  14',  and  west  longitude  63°  3' ;  some- 
what less  than  half  the  size,  and  containing  less  than  a  moiety  of 
the  population,  of  St.  Christopher's.  The  chief  town  of  Nevis, 
Charlestown,  is  exactly  eleven  miles  from  Basseterre,  and  the  latter 
is  just  about  the  same  distance  from  Sandy  Point,  the  other  town 
in  St.  Kitt's.  Basseterre  is  therefore  fairly  situated  for  being  a 
centre  and  capital  for  both  islands ;  and  the  fact  that  two  small 
islands,  so  situated,  should  each  have  its  separate  machinery  of 
government,  does  strike  the  mind  of  a  stranger  as  something  very 
unnecessary,  and  unnecessarily  expensive,  if  not  absurd.  The  Go- 
vernor of  Nevis  is  called  the  President,  while  St.  Kitt's  is  worthily 
presided  over  by  a  lieutenant-governor,  both  being  under  the  gene- 
ral government  of  the  Leeward  island  group.  But  both  islands 
have  their  respective  houses  of  assembly,  with  relative  staffs ;  and, 
without  offence  to  the  inhabitants  of  Nevis,  I  trust  I  may  record  it 
as  my  opinion — as  well  as  an  opinion  I  have  heard  generally  ex- 
pressed, even  in  influential  quarters — that  it  were  impossible  to 
imagine  a  more  obvious  reformation  than  to  merge  the  assembly 
and  courts  of  Nevis  in  those  of  St.  Kitt's,  one  lieutenant-governor 
presiding  over  both. 

A  sail  of  a  couple  of  hours  brings  the  voyager  from  Basseterre 
to  Charlestown  in  Nevis ;  and  after  inspecting  the  town,  (which  is 
certainly  a  poor  affair,  and  will  not  occupy  much  time.)  the  visitor 


62 


KEVIS. 


will  probably,  if  not  naturaily,  direct  his  attention  to  the  mineral 
hot-water  baths,  and  the  boarding  cstablishtient  connected  with 
them.  These  arc  situated  about  a  mile  to  thvT  south  of  Charles- 
town;  and,  before  setting  out  to  visit  them,  the  invalid  visitor 
should  first,  if  he  can,  provide  himself  with  a  xiorse — walking  ex- 
ercise in  the  tropics  being  but  seldom  agreeable  to  the  European, 
or  at  least  to  the  invalid  one.  These  hot  mineral  baths  are  two  in 
number:  the  largest  and  hottest  being  in  size  about  twenty-one  feet 
long  by  fif'een  feet  broad,  and  of  a  temperature  of  about  100°  Fah- 
renheit, and  the  smallest  and  coldest  being  somewhat  less,  and  its 
temperature  about  50°.  Both  are  beautifully  and  transparently 
clear,  and  have  a  singular  power  of  giving  a  semblance  of  white- 
ness, and  even  beauty,  such  as  is  ascribed  by  Sir  Francis  Head,  in 
his  amusing  and  able  work,  entitled  Buhhlts  from  the  Brunnens  of 
JSTassuu,  io  some  of  the  German  spas.  Being  warm,  they  are  nei- 
ther of  them  of  much  density ;  and  the  water,  which  may  be  drunk 
as  well  as  bathed  in,  has  an  agreeable  flavour,  and  leaves  an  im- 
pression on  the  palate  such  as  one  would  expect  from  drinking 
Doiled  soda-water.  These  baths  are  much  lauded  for  the  cure  or 
alleviation  of  rheumatic  complaints,  and  much  resorted  to  for  all 
sorts  and  descriptions  of  ailments.  I  felt,  particularly  when  in  the 
hottest  of  them,  an  elevation  of  spirits  which  was  singularly  plea- 
Bant,  and  which  left  an  agreeable  'effect — a  feeling  of  hr.ving  had 
strength  imparted  to  my  frame  for  all  the  rest  of  the  day. 

After  leaving  the  baths,  and  paying  (if  not  a  resident  in  the  lodg- 
ing-house mentioned  below)  the  moderate  charge  of  four  bits,  or  Is. 
4d.  for  the  very  luxurious  enjoyment,  i!  o  attention  of  the  visitor, 
who  is  here  for  the  first  time,  will  probably  be  next  attracted  to  the 
lodging-house  erected  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  of  which  the 
bathing  establishment  is  an  appendage.  This  lodging-house  is  a  large 
massive  stone  building,  calculated  and  fitted  to  accommodate  about 
fifty  boarders.  It  was  built  when  slavery  was  in  existence ;  and  al- 
though the  fact  of  slaves  being  employed  in  its  erection  renders  it 
somewhat  difficult  to  ascertain  the  real  amount  expended  in  its  con- 
struction, it  is  said  that  at  least  £30,000  was  so  spent ;  and  the  state- 
ment will  not  appear  at  all  incredible  to  any  one  who  has  visited  it 
and  noted  its  extent.  The  building  has,  however,  obviously  been 
erected  on  a  scale  much  too  ambitious.  It  was  built,  in  its  present 
gigantic  proportions,  by  its  first  proprietor — a  Mr.  Huggins — proba- 
bly under  the  idea  that  the  celebrity  of  the  mineral  baths,  and  the 
salubrity  of  the  climate  of  the  island,  might  attract  visitors  from  all 
parts  of  the  Archipelago — making  the  island  of  Nevis  wuat  it  has 
some  pretentions  to  be  considered,  the  Montpelier  of  the  West  In- 
dies. If  such  were  the  hopes  of  the  enterprising  founder  of  the 
lodging-house  and  bathing  establishment  of  Nev's,  they  have  been 


ing 


NKVIS. 


G3 


to  the  mineral 
Dnnected  with 
th  of  Charles- 
nvalid  visitor 
— walking  ex- 
the  European, 
ths  are  two  in 
(venty-one  feet 
)ut  100°  Fah- 
it  less,  and  its 
transparently 
nee  of  white- 
meis  Head,  in 
3  Brunnens  of 
they  are  nei- 
may  be  drunk 
leaves  an  im- 
Irom  drinking 
or  the  cure  or 
ted  to  for  all 
y  when  in  the 
igularly  plca- 
f  hr.ving  had 
day. 

t  in  the  lodg- 
ir  bits,  or  Is. 
f  the  visitor, 
tracted  to  the 
of  which  the 
ouse  is  a  large 
aiodate  about 
3nce ;  and  al- 
an  renders  it 
ed  in  its  con- 
and  the  state- 
has  visited  it 
)viou3ly  been 
in  its  present 
gins — proba- 
iths,  and  the 
tors  from  all 
3  wuat  it  has 
he  West  In- 
inder  of  the 
y  have  been 


grievously  disappointed.  I  could  not  Icavn  that,  at  any  time,  tho 
mammoth  lodging-house  was  a  pro.<'perous  establishment.  In  the 
present  almost  ruined  condition  of  the  island,  and  under  the  depress- 
ing influences  which  have,  especially  since  184G,  spread  their  baleful 
eft'ects  over  the  British  West  India  possessions,  I  only  found  the  Nevis 
lodging-house  and  baths  in  the  condition  I  ought  to  have  expected, 
when  I  found  them  in  a  semi-ruinous  and  nearly  deserted  state.  Still 
I  was  not  prepared  for  the  scene  of  desolation  they  exhibited.  W^ith 
all  nature  smiling  around,  and  looking  to  the  many  attractions  for 
rich  invalids  which  this  lovely  islet  presented,  I  was  deeply  impressed 
with  the  convict'  m  that  the  ruined  condition  of  such  an  establish- 
ment furnished  a  practical  commentary  on  the  wisdom  of  that  policy 
which,  in  the  first  place,  paid  twenty  millions  sterling,  or  thereby,  to 
put  down  slavery  in  our  own  colonies,  and  then  encouraged  other 
powers,  less  scrupulous,  to  continue  to  encourage  slavery,  by  allowing 
productions,  so  produced  and  manufactured,  to  compete  in  our  home 
markets  with  commodities  produced  and  manufactured  by  the  hands 
of  freemen. 

Notwithstanding,  however,  its  present  state,  the  lodging-house  of 
Nevis  and  its  adjacent  baths  offer  a  very  tempting  location  for  an  in- 
valid or  other  visitor ;  and  with  the  aid  of  a  servant,  and  the  society 
of  a  companion,  an  invalid  might  here  make  himself  or  herself  very 
comfortable,  even  for  a  stay  of  many  months'  duration.     Indeed  I 
was,  during  my  stay  in  Nevis,  much  struck  with  its  attractions  as  a 
place  of  sanitary  resort ;  and  most  heartily  did  I  agree  with  an  offi- 
cial friend,  of  high  rank,  when  he  observed,  with  reference  to  the 
temporary  residence  of   her   Majesty — the   late  lamented   Queen- 
dowager  of  England — in  the  island  of  31adeira,  that  were  those  whosfa 
finances  could  afford  it  to  devote  a  few  hundreds  to  introducing  the 
elements  of  comfort  into  the  lodging-house  in  Nevis,  they  would  find 
it  a  fully  more  healthful  location  than  the  more  frequented  island  of 
the  north.     Nor  will  the  remark  seem  extravagant  to  any  one  who 
has  visited  Nevis.     While  the  greater  length  of  the  voyage  gives  it 
an  advantage  over  its  more  popular  rival — inasmuch  as  it  seems  now 
generally  conceded  that  the  sea  voyage,  particularly  when  the  sail  is  on 
the  summer  sea  of  the  West  Indian  Archipelago  at  the  proper  season, 
and  under  the  benign  influence  of  the  tropical  breezes,  has  a  most  bene- 
ficial effect  in  the  cure  of  many  complaints,  particularly  of  pulmonary 
ones — the  beauties  of  Nevis,  as  an  island,  are  no  whit  inferior  to 
those  of  Madeira.     Its  valleys  are  as  fertile,  and  its  hills  as  grand ; 
and  it  is  uniformly  verdant  and   beautiful,   even   in   its   present 
depressed  condition.     From  the  smallness  of  its  size,  as  well  as  from 
the  height  of  its  hills,  it  enjoys,  for  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  a 
climate  comparatively  cool,  and  of  acknowledged  salubrity.     In  fine, 
I  feel  it  is  only  discharging  a  duty  I  owe  to  others  to  testify  my  con- 


64 


INVALIDS,  AND  THEIR  TREATMENT. 


Tiction  of  the  fact,  that  few  places  on  the  globe  furnish  a  more  ad- 
vantageous retreat  for  parties  labouring  under  pulmonary  complaints, 
than  does  this  self-same  island  of  Nevis,  with  its  overgrown  lodging- 
house,  and  its  delightful,  invigorating,  and  transparent  mineral  hot 
baths. 

But  it  is  right  that  I  should  add  that  in  no  case  should  the  invalid 
be  allowed  to  come  to  the  West  Indies,  without  previous  preparation 
being  made  for  his,  and  (especially)  for  her  reception — a  caution 
which  I  the  more  readily  add,  because,  according  to  my  own  expe- 
rience, it  is  but  too  much  neglected  in  cases  where  the  advice  to  go 
abroad  is  given.  There  is  naturally,  in  the  newness  as  well  as  dis- 
tance of  the  scene,  much  that  is  calculated  to  depress ;  and  this  de- 
pression is  ofttimes  so  much  aggravated  by  the  feeling  of  being  alone 
among  strangers^  that  I  have  known,  within  the  limits  of  my  own 
personal  knowledge,  several  cases  where  I  was  satisfied  that  the  patient 
had  suflFered  more  from  depression  of  spirit;:,  ^n  the  tropical  climate, 
than  he  or  she  would,  in  all  probability,  have  done  from  the  disease  in 
the  northern  one :  to  which  add  a  fact  that  truth  compels  me  to  men- 
tion, and  the  mention  of  which  my  West  Indian  friends  will  forgive,  that 
at  first  sight,  at  least.  West  Indian  mansions — particularly  those  of  the 
class  of  domipuhlici — have  to  an  English  eye  an  appearance  which 
is  waste  and  comfortless,  and  which  is  calculated  to  strike  a  chill  into 
the  heart  of  one  debilitated  by  bodily  suffering.  In  every  case 
where  it  is  practicable,  I  would  therefore  recommend,  that  the  patient 
visiting  the  West  Indies  on  account  of  health  should  be  preceded  or 
accompanied  by  a  European  servant ;  and,  at  least  in  the  case  of  a 
lady,  that  they  should  also  have  a  friend  with  them.  The  very  feel- 
ing that  death  might  arrive  in  a  foreign  land,  far  from  friends  and 
home,  often  tends  to  work  out  the  fatal  result.  With  such  adjuncts 
to  comfort  and  happiness  as  I  have  mentioned,  however,  I  cannot 
conceive  a  better  location  for  the  weak,  languid  sufferer,  than  this 
lovely  islet  of  the  Caribean  Sea,  or  (for  its  near  vicinity  makes  them 
almost  one)  its  somewhat  larger  neighbour,  the  island  of  St.  Kitt's. 
Even  Coleridge  says,  when  writing  of  Nevis,  that  he  would  often 
"  run  down  the  trades  and  winter  within  the  tropics,"  although  he 
would  prefer  Madeira  for  a  continued  residence,  on  account  of  its 
vicinity  to  England.  He  adds,  that  he  "  partly  engaged  to  marry  a 
lady  in  Madeira,  when  he  and  she  came  to  the  years  of  discretion." 
Having  no  such  cogent  reason  as  that  last  mentioned,  to  influence 
my  resolve,  I  may  be  pardoned  for  claimirig  for  Nevis  at  least  an 
equality  of  attractions. 

On  leaving  the  baths,  and  again  mounting  his  steed,  (if  he  has  the 
good  fortune  to  have  one,)  the  visitor  will  find  himself  in  excellent 
condition  for  a  ride  round  part  of  or  through  the  island — visiting  the 
Banyan  tree  described  by  various  travellers,  or  such  other  scenes  as 


< 


his  0^ 
to  do 
soraev 
wome 
baths 
the 
attirec 
Ne' 
great 


ORIGIN  OF  ITS  NAME. 


65 


sh  a  more  ad- 
7  complaints, 
rown  lodging- 
t  mineral  hot 

Id  the  invalid 
IS  preparation 
>n — a  caution 
ly  own  expe- 
advice  to  go 
IS  well  as  dis- 
and  this  de- 
»f  being  alone 
s  of  my  own 
lat  the  patient 
pical  climate, 
the  disease  in 
3  me  to  men- 
1  forgive,  that 
y  those  of  the 
arance  which 
;e  a  chill  into 
I  every  case 
it  the  patient 
J  preceded  or 
he  case  of  a 
'he  very  feel- 
friends  and 
uch  adjuncts 
er,  I  cannot 
',  than  this 
makes  them 
St.  Kitt's. 
would  often 
although  he 
count  of  its 
I  to  marry  a 
discretion." 
to  influence 
at  least  an 

f  he  has  the 
in  excellent 
-visiting  the 
2T  scenes  as 


I 


his  own  or  friends'  taste  may  induce  him  to  visit;  before  setting  out 
to  do  which,  he  may,  perchance,  have  his  sense  of  the  proprieties 
somewhat  violated,  by  observing  a  number  of  black  and  coloured 
women  standing  in  the  stream  of  hot  water,  as  it  escapos  from  the 
baths,  washing  clothes  in  this  caldron  of  nature's  heating  :  themselves 
the  while,  if  not  exactly  in  pun's  naturaliljus,  at  least  too  scantily 
attired  for  European  notions  of  decency. 

Nevis,  like  her  other  sister  islands,  received  her  name  from  the 
great  Colon — 

"  Who  scanned  Columbia  through  the  wave ;" 

and  various  are  the  accounts  given  of  the  reasons  that  induced  the 
choice  of  such  a  name.  The  then  existence  of  a  volcano,  now  ex- 
tinct, is  the  supposition  of  Edwards ;  and  other  accounts  equally 
erudite  are  given  of  the  matter.  One  occurred  to  myself,  which,  if 
not  the  sound  one,  seems  to  me  to  have  at  least  as  much  probability 
or  plausibility  in  it  as  the  rest.  When  first  visiting  this  island,  both 
when  going  and  returning,  and  again  on  numberless  other  occasions, 
when  looking  at  it  as  well  from  the  sea  as  from  the  neighbouring 
island  of  St.  Christopher's,  I  observed  a  large  fleecy  white  cloud, 
which,  like  a  canopy,  encircled  the  summit,  about  the  centre  of  the 
island  of  Nevis;  and  so  often  did  this  appearance  present  itself,  and 
so  truly  did  it  merit  for  the  hills  on  which  it  rested  the 

"  Candidum  nive  " 

assigned  by  Horace  as  a  characteristic  of  Mount  Soracte,  that  I  could 
not  avoid  the  conviction  that  such  a  semblance,  seen  by  Columbus 
and  his  fellow  voyagers,  accounted  satisfactorily  for  their  thus  nam- 
ing this  island  of  the  tropics  by  a  name  suggestive  of  snow.  At  all 
events,  there  was  something  of  interest  in  thus  throwing  the  mind 
back  into  the  past,  and  attempting  to  fathom,  in  any  respect,  the 
motives  that  influenced  the  great  discoverer,  and  to  suppose  that  the 
sight  which  greets  you  was  the  same  or  similar  to  the  one  seen 

"  When  first  his  droo[)iiig  sails  Columbus  furl'd, 
And  sweetly  rested  in  another  world." 

When  writing  of  Antigua,  I  have  had  occasion  to  speak  of  the 
state  of  the  Church  in  these  islands  of  the  Leeward  group;  and  that 
in  so  doing  I  used  terms  of  unqualified  praise,  is  only  due  to  the 
high  standing  for  learning,  piety,  and  zeal  of  the  body  of  reverend 
gentlemen,  who  are  now  to  be  found  discharging  the  pastoral  office 
in  the  British  West  India  colonies.  But  if  an  anecdote  I  once  heard 
in  Nevis  be  well  founded,  there  must  have  been  a  time  when  such 
praise  would  have  been  misplaced.  There  was  unquestionably  a 
time  when,  not  only  in  impetuous  Erin,  but  in  most  other  parts  of 
Great  Britain  and  her  possessions,  the  pistol  was  supposed  to  be,  at 


6i 


LA.W  COURTS. 


-Hi 


least  for  laymen,  the  most  appropriate  weapon  for  deciding  questions 
of  right  and  wrong.  That  this  "  code  of  honour"  was  ever  acted  on 
by  the  clergy  in  the  mother  country,  I  have  never  heard  j  but,  if  the 
tale  I  heard  be  true,  it  seems  that  the  impetuousness  of  the  Creole 
blood  had  induced  some  one  of  their  colonial  brethren  to  improve 
upon  the  general  practice,  and,  when  contradicted  by  a  reverend 
brother  on  some  questions  of  Grecian  or  other  antiquities,  to  ofier  to 
bring  the  matter  to  the  usual  arbitrament  of  the  pistol.  The  epistle 
in  which  the  challenge  was  giv/)n  was  a  simple  intimation  of  the 
offence,  and  challenge  to  meet  at  or  near  Brimstone  hill.  But  alas 
for  the  "  chance  of  war  V  The  blood  of  the  respondent  was  either 
cooler,  or  his  feeling  of  propriety,  common  sense,  and  religion 
stronger;  and,  perceiving  the  absurdity  of  the  whole  affair,  his 
answer,  endorsed  on  the  belligerent  note,  was  simply,  "  Reverend 
Sir,  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  gratify  you.  In  point  of  fact,  I  was  born 
a  coward,  and  bred  a  parson."  The  date  of  this  deathblow  to  duel- 
ling, at  least  in  the  church,  was  not  given.  No  doubt,  "  'twas  a  long 
time  ago  j"  but  I  thought  the  story  worth  recording,  were  it  only 
because  it  is  one  which,  if  it  ever  did  happen,  will  certainly  never 
happen  again. 

In  Antigua,  and  again  in  St.  Kitt's,  I  had  opportunities  of  seeing 
on  several  occasions  the  courts  of  law  sitting  for  the  discharge  of 
judicial  business,  both  civil  and  criminal.  The  barristers  who  prac- 
tise in  the  colonies  generally  practise  also  as  solicitors  or  attorneys. 
Such  is  likewise  the  case  in  the  United  States  of  America.  In  Great 
Britain,  and  particularly  I  think  in  Scotland,  there  is  a  prevalent 
impression  that  the  ends  of  justice  are  promoted  by  the  separation 
of  the  legal  "profession  into  its  two  branches  of  solicitors  and  attor- 
neys, and  barristers  or  advocates,  and  making  the  practice  of  the  one 
branch  incompatible  with  that  of  the  other.  That  this  separation 
ofttimes  makes  the  obtaining  of  justice,  by  means  of  law,  a  much 
more  costly  affair  than  it  otherwise  would  be,  is  very  obvious.  But 
if,  by  such  division,  a  purer  legal  atmosphere,  so  to  speak,  is  obtain- 
ed, it  cannot  be  said  that  the  enhanced  cost  of  the  article  is  money 
thrown  away.  I  cannot,  however,  agree  in  the  opinion  that  the  divi- 
sion all'ided  to  is  essential,  or  even  of  importance  to  the  ends  of 
justice.  Such  had  long  been  my  opinion  formed  on  principles  ap- 
plicable to  the  state  of  matters  in  the  mother  country.  For  other 
reiGons,  to  detail  which  would  be  out  of  place  here,  I  would  regard 
tho  breaking  down  of  the  division  I  have  referred  to  as  a  matter  to 
be  regretted.  But  I  certainly  cannot  see  how  the  division  itself  in 
any  way  tends  to  purity  oi  judicial  procedure;  and  my  own  expe- 
rience in  the  West  Indian  colonies,  and  in  the  United  States  of 
America,  confirmed  the  opinions  I  had  formed  in  this  respect: 
while,  as  regards  the  solicitor-barristers  of  the  West  Indies,  I  can 


most 
is  am 


JURY  SYSTEM. 


67 


ling  questions 
ever  acted  on 
d  J  but,  if  the 
of  the  Creole 
m  to  improve 
y  a  reverend 
ies,  to  offer  to 
The  epistle 
nation  of  the 
11.  But  alas 
tit  was  either 
and  religion 
le  affair,  his 
,  "  Keverend 
b,  I  was  born 
blow  to  duel- 
*  'twas  a  long 
were  it  only 
irtainly  never 

ties  of  seeing 

discharge  of 

)rs  who  prac- 

or  attorneys. 

sa.    In  Great 

a  prevalent 

le  separation 

rs  and  attor- 

e  of  the  one 

s  separation 

aw,  a  much 

vious.    But 

k,  is  obtain- 

le  is  money 

hat  the  divi- 

the  ends  of 

inciples  ap- 

For  other 
ould  regard 
a  matter  to 
on  itself  in 

own  expe- 
1  States  of 
lis  respect: 
dieS;  I  can 


most  honestly  confirm  the  statement  of  an  earlier  writer,  that  there 
is  among  them  the  same  abstinence  from  irregular  interruption,  the 
same  urbanity  to  each  other,  and  the  same  cheerful  obedience  to  that 
decision  which  the  constitution  of  the  country  makes  binding  on 
them,  which  severe  critics  have  predicated  of  the  junior  (he  might 
have  also  said  "and  senior")  barristers  of  the  mother-land.  Were 
I  disposed  to  be  critical,  I  might  add  that  the  only  thing  I  thought 
objectionable  was  the  number  of  "  counsel"  engaged  on  either  side. 
In  a  case  of  ejectment,  involving  pecuniary  value  of  somewhat  incon- 
siderable amount,  I  saw  no  less  than  four  gentlemen  of  the  long 
robe  engaged  for  the  prosecution,  while  an  equal  number  conducted 
the  defsnce.  This  must  add  much  to  the  costliness  of  the  verdict  j 
but  this  fault  is  one  which  is  too  often  committed  at  home,  to  justify 
any  severity  of  criticism  towards  our  colonial  brethren.  With  the 
exception  of  the  wig,  which  is  dispensed  with  both  by  bench  and  bar 
in  the  West  Indies,  for  the  very  obvious  reason  that  the  heat  of  the 
climate  would  render  the  use  of  it  insupportable,  the  advocates  in 
these  colonies  are  robed  and  otherwise  dressed  like  their  brethren  ut 
home  J  and  the  whole  judicial  procedure  is  conducted  much  in  the 
same  way — even  to  the  occasional  exhibition  either  of  an  unaccount- 
able amount  of  credulity,  or  of  incredulity,  on  the  part  of  the  "gen- 
tlemen of  the  jury"  impannelled  to  try  a  civil  cause,  or  to  inquire 
into  a  crime.  Here  the  English  rule,  requiring  unanimity  on  the 
part  of  the  members  of  the  jury,  prevails;  and  the  effect  is  to  pro- 
duce some  odd  scenes  of  acquittal,  in  the  face  of  evidence  amounting 
almost  to  demonstration.  Such  results  must  occasionally  be  pro- 
duced by  the  adoption  of  a  rule  like  this,  particularly  in  places  in- 
habited by  mixed  races,  and  where  strong  prejudices  of  colour  and 
otherwise  interfere  to  obscure  perception  or  to  warp  the  judgment. 
And  although  the  Scottish  system  to  which  I  had  been  most  accus- 
tomed has  somo  disadvantages,  I  felt  that  it  would  be  better  to  allow 
a  majority  to  rule,  rather  than  permit  the  common  sense  but  weaker 
stomachs  and  powers  of  endurance  of  the  many,  to  be  overcome  by 
the  head-strong  prejudices,  bull-headed  obstinacy,  and  ability  for 
fasting  of  the  few.  There  may  be  some  plausible  objections  to 
allowing  the  question  of  crime  or  no  crime  to  bo  decided  by  a  bare 
majority  of  twelve  menj  but  assuredly  there  are  more  objections  to 
allowing  the  conscientious  opinions  of  eleven  to  be  overruled  by  the 
dishonesty  or  bigotry  of  one,  whose  powers  of  endurance  enable  him 
to  withstand  the  effects  of  fasting  and  confinement  for  an  unusually 
great  length  of  time. 

Among  the  memorabilia  of  St.  Kitt's,  I  find  in  my  note-book 
honourable  mention  made  of  a  somewhat  singular  stone,  which  is 
to  bo  seen  almost  on  the  very  summit  of  a  remarkable  and  singu- 
larly beautiful  hill,  called  by  the  more  appropriate  than  euphonious 


68 


EARTHQUAKES  AND  HURRICANES. 


name  of  Monkey  Hill ;  which  hill  may  be  said  to  form  the  southern 
termination  of  the  range  which  traverses  the  island.  Monkey  Hill 
is  in  itself  a  verdant  object,  with  green,  and  consequently  beau- 
tiful, cane-fields  or  brakes,  extending  to  its  very  base ;  and  on  the 
summit  of  it  stands  the  large  stone  referred  to,  in  form  and  shape 
something  like  a  cradle,  and  having  part  of  the  top  hollowed  <  >ut, 
so  as  to  give  countenance  to  the  legend  that  it  was  used  by  the 
fierce  Caribs  (who  inhabited  these  islands  at  and  after  the  date  of 
their  discovery  by  Columbus)  for  the  immolation  and  burning  of 
their  human  sacrifices. 

Brimstone  Hill,  on  which  the  British  Government  has  erected  a 
very  strong  and  handsome  fort,  is  another  object  of  interest,  situ- 
ated as  it  is  on  the  sea-shore,  detached  from  the  contiguous  moun- 
tains, and  precipitous  on  all  sides  save  that  of  its  approach.  And 
the  "  salt  ponds"  to  be  seen  in  the  southern  extremity  of  the  island, 
and  to  which  the  readiest,  if  not  the  only,  access  is  by  sea,  should 
not  be  left  unvisited. 

Neither  in  St.  Christopher's  nor  in  Nevis  (if  I  except  the  lodg- 
ing-house of  the  latter)  did  I  observe  so  many  marks  of  the  ravages 
of  the  earthquake  of  1843,  or  of  the  hurricane  of  1848,  us  I  had 
previously  done  in  Antigua.  But  both  sufiered,  and  suffered 
greatly — so  greatly,  that  I  feel  sure  that,  had  the  extent  of  loss 
thereby  occasioned  to  the  already  previously  depressed  planters  and 
proprietors  been  accurately  and  generally  known  in  the  mother 
country,  some  special  aid  would  have  been  granted  to  lessen  the 
amount  of  suffering  and  repair  the  damage  sustained. 

It  is  certainly  paying  a  fearful  price  and  penalty  for  their  love- 
liness of  climate,  that  the  West  Indian  Islands,  and  especially  the 
Caribean  Islands,  should  be  so  frequently  visited  by  these  scourges 
of  nature — the  hurricane  and  the  earthquake.  And  after  listening 
to  the  many  interesting  details  I  heard  during  my  temporary  so- 
journ in  these  islands,  I  felt  more  fully  able  to  appreciate  the  lines 
of  the  poet, — 

"  Oft  o'er  the  Eden  Islands  of  the  west, 
In  floral  pomp  and  verdant  beauty  drest, 
Boll  the  dark  clouds  of  heaven's  awakened  ire; 
Thunder  and  earthquake,  whirlwind,  flood  and  fire, 
Midst  reeling  mountains,  and  departing  plains, 
Tell  the  pale  world  '  the  God  of  vengeance  reigns.'  " 

Although  hurricanes  such  as  have  devastated  these  islands  are 
fortunately  of  very  rare  occurrence — so  rare  as  to  permit  the  hope 
that  the  visitation  of  1848  may  prove  the  last  for  many  years — 
yet,  during  the  months  of  July,  August,  and  September,  such  is 
the  tendency  to  sudden  storms,  that  these  months  are  characterised 
as  the  hurricane  months  j  these  hurricanes,  it  is  generally  supposed, 
being  caused  by  a  rarefaction  of  the  air  produced  by  the  previously- 


rymfe 


TORTOLA. 


69 


the  southern 
Monkey  Hill 
juently  beau- 
;  and  on  the 
m  and  shape 
bollowed  (>ut, 

used  by  the 
r  the  date  of 
I  burning  of 

has  erected  a 
interest,  situ- 
iguous  moun- 
roach.  And 
of  the  island, 
y  sea,  should 

ept  the  lodg- 

f  the  ravages 

548,  as  I  had 

and   suffered 

!ctent  of  loss 

planters  and 

the  mother 

0  lessen  the 

ir  their  love- 
specially  the 
lese  scourges 
ter  listening 
mporary  so- 
ate  the  lines 


islands  are 
ait  the  hope 
any  years — 
ber,  such  is 
haracterised 
ly  supposed, 

previously- 


existing  great  heat,  and  the  colder  air  of  the  surrounding  region 
rushing  in  to  fill  up  the  vacuum. 

During  my  stay  in  St.  Kitt's — where  I  had  the  good  fortune  to 
enjoy  the  superior  comforts  and  society  of  Government  House,  and 
the  kind  hospitality  of  the  Lieutenant-Governor,  his  Excellency 
Robert  Mackintosh,  a  gentleman  himself  distinguished,  and  the 
son  of  the  late  eminently  distinguished  jurist  and  single-minded 
statesman.  Sir  James  Mackintosh  (as  well  as  the  editor  of  his 
works) — the  island  was  visited  by  the  British  naval  squadron,  car- 
rying the  flag  of  Lord  Dundonald ;  and  also  by  an  American  war 
frigate,  the  Germantown,  and  by  a  Dutch  vessel  of  war.     Taking 
advantage  of  such  opportunities,  or  of  the  opportunities  afforded 
by  the  numerous  small  vessels  trading  among  the  islands,  the 
visitor  may,  from  St.  Kitt's,  visit  the  neighbouring  smaller  islands 
of  St.  Eustatius,  St.  Bartholomew,  and  Saba — returning  to  St. 
Kitt's  and  taking  the  English  steamer,  or  such  other  opportunity 
as  may  occur,  to  run  downwards  to  St.  Thomas  and  onwards  on  his 
route  to  the  north.     If  as  fortunate  in  point  of  weather  as  I  was, 
the  sail  from  St.  Kitt's  to  St.  Thomas  cannot  be  otherwise  than 
productive  of  much  gratification.     Leaving  Saba  and  St.  Bartholo- 
mew, &c.,  on  the  right,  the  sail  is  up  to  and  among  the  Virgin 
islands,  past  Virgin  Gorda,  and  into  the  Bay  of  Roadtown  in  the 
island  of  Tortola,  where  the  steamer  touches  and  lands  her  mails. 
At  the  time  I  visited  the  scene,  it  was  in  the  bright  light  of  a  sum- 
mer morning — the  sea  was  calm  and  the  wind  at  rest ;  but  in  a 
dark  night,  and  in  tempestuous  weather,  I  could  easily  understand 
that  it  would  require  some  considerable  skill  in  navigation  to  guide 
a  vessel  safely  through  such  and  so  many  diflSculties.    But  all  dan- 
ger is  now  avoided,  in  so  far  at  least  as  the  steamships  are  concerned, 
by  timing  their  arrivals  at  such  places,  and  by  taking  the  outside 
passage  when  the  night  is  dark  or  the  sea  rough. 

Of  these  numerous  islands  of  the  Virgin  group — which  belong 
partly  to  Denmark  and  partly  to  England,  and  of  which  there  are 
said  to  be  no  less  than  thirty,  including  small  as  well  as  large — 
the  island  of 

TORTOLA 

is  the  chief.  It  belongs  to  England,  and  is  in  length  about  eighteen 
miles  by  about  seven  in  breadth,  and  contains  a  population  exceed- 
ing ten  thousand  inhabitants. 

Among  these  Virgin  islnnds,  but  standing  a  little  apart  from  the 
rest,  between  the  Danish  islands  of  St.  Thomas  and  Santa  Cruz, 
and  in  west  longitude  04"^  35',  and  north  latitude  18^,  there  is  to 
be  found  a  largo  island,  known  in  the  locality  by  the  cognomen  of 


n 


ST.  THOMAS. 


Crab  Island,  but  laid  down  in  the  maps  as  the  Isle  of  Boriquen,  of 
which  I  was  destined  to  hear  a  good  deal,  but  which  I  found  no 
opportunity  of  visiting,  although  I  much  desired  to  do  so.  This 
island  is  nearly  as  large  as  Santa  Cruz,  and  is  said  to  be  exceed- 
ingly fertile.  In  the  Gazetteers  it  is  generally  laid  down  as  unin- 
habited }  but  this  is  not  strictly  correct.  In  former  days,  when 
this  group  of  islands  formed  the  headquarters  of  piracy,  Bcr.quen 
or  Crab  Island  was  the  abode,  from  time  to  time,  of  different  bands 
of  buccaneers  or  rovers ;  and  many  are  the  dreadful  tales  that  arc 
told  as  to  the  scenes  of  which  this  Crab  Island  (so  called  from  the 
large  number  of  land-crabs  found  in  it)  was  the  theatre.  Of  late 
years,  the  mode  of  its  occupation  has  been  scarcely  less  obnoxious. 
Even  now,  it  cannot  be  said  to  have  any  fixed  population ;  and 
being  claimed,  or  understood  to  be  claimed,  by  Great  Britain,  by 
Spain,  and  by  Denmark,  the  chief  use  made  of  it  is  by  slavers, 
who  occasionally  resort  to  it  under  the  pretence  of  watering,  but 
in  reality  to  tranship  their  supplies,  dispose  of  their  cargoes  of 
slaves,  or  elude  the  vigilance  of  the  British  cruisers.  Infinitely 
better  were  it  that  it  were  in  the  possession  and  government  of 
England  or  even  of  Denmark,  now  that  the  latter  has  followed  the 
example  of  England  in  emancipating  her  slaves.  At  present  it  is 
a  comparative  wilderness,  and  misused  for  the  vilest  of  purposes — 
the  traffic  in  human  flesh.  Under  proper  government,  Boriquen 
or  Crab  IsLad  might  support  a  population  nearly  as  large  as  that 
of  Santa  Cruz,  in  circumstances  of  comfort. 

After  leaving  Tortola,  the  next  place  at  which  the  English 
steamer  touches  is  the  well-known  Danish  island  of  St.  Thomas. 
But  the  approach  to  a  place  so  "  famed  in  story,"  and  the  property 
of  another  and  a  friendly  power,  deserves,  and  will  from  me  receive, 
a  separate  chapter. 


tage 


CHAPTER  V. 


"  Vines  with  climbing  branches  growinf?, 
t  Plants  with  goodly  burthens  bowing." 

SnAKSPEARE. 

"  To  regions  where,  in  spite  of  sin  and  woe, 
Traces  of  Eden  arc  still  seen  below ; 
Where  mountain,  river,  forest,  field  and  groA  o, 
Kemiud  him  of  his  Maker's  power  and  love  " 

Ci  WPER. 


The  Danish  island  of 


ST.  THOMAS 


Is  situated  in  longitude  65°  26'  west,  and  in  latitude  18° 
north.     The  capital,  indeed  the  only  town  in  the  islana,  iy 


22' 

also 


of 


Boriquen,  of 
ti  I  found  no 
io  so.  This 
0  be  exceed- 
own  as  unin- 
•  days,  when 
cy,  Boriquen 
fterent  bands 
tales  that  arc 
lied  from  the 
re.  Of  late 
5S  obnoxious, 
ulation;  and 
;  Britain,  by 
3  by  slavers, 
vatering,  but 
r  cargoes  of 
.  Infinitely 
vernment  of 
followed  the 
present  it  is 
-  purposes — 
Qt,  Boriquen 
Large  as  that 

he  English 

t.  Thomas. 

the  property 

me  receive. 


ITS  PROSPERITY. 


71 


i 


de  18°  22' 
ana,  iy  also 


called  St.  Thomas ;  and  I  question  if  there  be,  within  the  West 
Indian  Archipelago,  (and  those  who  have  visited  these  islands  know 
how  extensive  a  catalogue  of  beauty  these  words  comprehend,)  a 
scene  more  exquisite  than  is  the  view  of  the  town  and  bay  of  St. 
Thomas,  as  seen  either  from  the  sea,  or  as  viewed  from  the  summit 
of  the  hill  rising  immediately  above  the  town.  The  view  from 
seaward  was  seen  by  me  first,  and  it  certainly  was  singularly  beau- 
tiful. The  bay  at  the  head  of  which  the  town  lies  is  almost  circu- 
lar, the  entrance  being  by  a  neck  guarded  by  two  forts.  In  front 
of  you  lies  the  clean,  bright  town,  situated  at  the  bottom  of  the 
bay,  on  the  acclivities,  and  in  ibe  ravines,  formed  by  the  three 
limbs  of  a  hill  about  twelve  hundred  feet  high,  which  rises  imme- 
diately from  the  shore.  Although  in  reality  built  in  the  form  of  a 
square,  or  rather  of  a  parallelogram,  the  spectator,  in  approaching 
the  town  of  St.  Thomas  from  the  sea,  has  the  impression  that  this 
exceedingly  pretty  town  is  built  in  that  of  three  triangles — an  ap- 
pearance which  arises  from  the  fact  that,  as  you  thus  approach  it, 
you  only  see  those  parts  that  are  built  on  the  three  projecting 
limbs  of  the  hill,  those  parts  lying  in  the  ravines  being  for  a  time 
hid  from  view.  The  effect  is  very  pleasing.  The  hills  behind, 
the  numerous^red  roofs,  the  white  houses,  and  the  general  appear- 
ance (at  some  distance)  of  the  cultivation,  give  St.  Thomas*  some- 
thing of  the  aspect  of  the  town  of  Funchal,  in  the  island  of 
Madeira ;  and  if  the  greater  grandeur  of  the  hill,  at  the  bottom  of 
which  the  capital  of  the  "  flor  d'oceano"  stands,  gives  it  the  advan- 
tage in  this  respect,  St.  Thomas'  has  infinitely  the  advantage  in 
point  of  regularity,  order,  and,  above  all,  in  an  attention  to  cleanli- 
ness. 

The  importance  of  St.  Thomas',  as  a  place  of  trade  and  com- 
merce, is  too  well  known  to  justify  extended  reference  to  it  here. 
It  is  pre-eminently  a  mercantile  town.  Indeed,  if  the  shortness  of 
my  residence  within  it  would  justify  criticism  at  all,  I  would  say 
that  it  is  only  the  fact  of  its  being  so,  of  its  inhabitants  being  too 
entirely  devoted  to  the  crush  and  turmoil  of  business,  that  forms 
an  objection  to  it  as  a  place  of  tropical  sojourn.  St.  Thomas'  is 
what  is  called  a  free  port,  nearly  every  description  of  goods  being 
admitted  at  one  uniform  rate  of  duty,  which  is  small,  being  little 
more  than  one  per  cent.  Except  during  the  temporary  occupation 
of  the  island  by  England,  from  1807  till  1814,  St.  Thomas'  has 
for  a  long  time  been  in  the  possession  of  Denmark.  The  town 
possesses  a  news-room,  an  ice-house,  several  churches  of  imposing 
structure,  and  a  boarding-house  on  a  somewhat  gigantic  scale. 
But,  as  above  mentioned,  its  distinguishing  characteristics  are  as  a 
place  of  trade, — a  ftict  evinced  by  no  circumstance  more  strongly 
than  by  the  great  number  and  large  extent  of  the  stores  of  the 


72 


SEAWARD  VIEW. 


merchants,  and  the  immense  piles  of  valuable  merchandize  whicli 
they  are  seen  to  jontain.  The  merchants  of  St.  Thomas'  have  long 
enjoyed,  and  continue  to  enjoy,  a  large  amount  of  prosperity  ;  and 
their  hospitalities  are  on  a  scale  commensurate  with  their  wealth 
and  importance. 

In  the  interior  of  the  island,  or  even  by  riding  round  about  as 
well  as  through  it,  there  is  net  much  to  be  seen.  The  time  occu- 
pied, however,  ir  so  seeing  it,  is  not  long,  and  the  visitor  should 
on  no  account  leave  the  island  without  having  once  at  least,  if  not 
much  oftener,  enjoyed  the  very  splendid  panoramic  view  which  is 
to  be  had  from  the  summit  of  the  hill  which  stands  over  the  town. 
Through  the  kindness  of  his  Excellency  Von  Oxholm,Uhe  Lieu- 
tenant-governor of  St.  Thomas',  to  whom  I  was  favoured  with  an 
introduction,  and  whose  courtesy  and  kindness  I  have  sincere  plea- 
sure in  thus  acknowledging,  I  was  enabled  to  visit  the  interior  of 
the  island  on  the  back  of  a  good  English  hunter.  I  had  previously 
ascended  the  mountain  immediately  above  the  town,  and  enjoyed 
the  magnificent  panoramic  view  I  have  before  alluded  to.  Belo\7, 
and  in  the  immediate  foreground,  lay  the  town  of  St.  Thomas,  with 
the  numerous  shipping  in  the  harbour  and  at  the  landing-places, 
and  the  clean  Danish  forts,  with  the  flag  of  Denmark  conspicuous 
from  their  flag-stalFs;  a  little  beyond,  the  calm  clear  sea,  with 
numerous  sails  cruising  in  every  direction ;  an  archipelago  of  islets 
lying  scattered  around,  reposing  on  the  bosom  of  the  mighty  deep ; 
and  the  verdant  island  of  Santa  Cruz  in  the  distance ;  and  the 
still  larger  island  of  Porto  Rico,  seen  dimly  and  as  a  cloud  on  the 
verge  of  the  horizon,  all  combined  to  form  one  of  the  finest  sea 
views  that  it  has  been  my  good  fortune  to  witness  in  any  part  of 
the  world.  During  my  ten  days'  stay  in  St.  Thomas',  I  visited  the 
scene  several  times,  and  on  each  occasion  was  more  and  more  im- 
pressed with  its  beauty.  Indeed,  when  but  a  short  way  up  the 
hill,  and  when  enjoying  the  hospitalities  of  my  kind  friends  Messrs. 

M n,  senior  and  junior,  Mr.  C ie,  &c.,  in  their  luxurious 

retreats,  perched,  almost  like  nests,  a  considerable  way  up  the  ac- 
clivity on  which  part  of  the  town  is  built — I  was  daily  enchanted 
with  the  loveliness  of  the  scene  as  it  exhibited  itself  from  the  win- 
dows, even  at  that  height.  But,  to  see  it  in  full  perfection,  the 
summit  of  the  mountain  must  be  attained.  One  thing  struck  me 
forcibly,  and  now  recurs  vividly  to  my  recollection ;  and  it  is  the 
remarkable  clearness  of  the  water  in  the  creeks  or  inlets  with 
which  the  shores  of  St.  Thomas'  are  indented  all  around,  and 
which,  in  days  now  happily  gone  by,  (and,  thanks  to  the  power  of 
steam,  never  likely  to  return,)  ofiered  places  of  convenient  retreat 
to  the  numerous  pirates  who  infested  these  seas  and  islands.  When 
standing  at  an  elevation  of  certainly  not  less  than  five  or  six  hun- 


I 


lency's 
Althoi 
alFordii 
of  Sai 


so. 


SANTA  CRUZ. 


73 


andizo  which 
as'  have  long 
jperity ;  and 
their  wealth 

md  about  as 

le  time  occu- 

isitor  should 

least,  if  not 

iew  which  is 

er  the  town. 

m,Uhe  Lieu- 

iired  with  an 

sincere  plea- 

e  interior  of 

id  previously 

and  enjoyed 

to.     BelovT, 

rhomas,  with 

iding-places, 

conspicuous 

ar  sea,  with 

ago  of  islets 

lighty  deep  j 

36 ;  and  the 

jloud  on  the 

le  finest  sea 

any  part  of 

'.  visited  the 

more  im- 

wray  up  the 

Qds  Messrs. 

r  luxurious 

up  the  ac- 

enchanted 

m.  the  win- 

ection,  the 

struck  me 

ad  it  is  the 

inlets  with 

ound,  and 

e  power  of 

eut  retreat 

ds.    When 

►r  six  hun- 


dred feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  I  could  discern  large  fish,  as 
they  swam  about  far  down  in  the  depths  of  the  lagoon — such  was 
the  clearness  both  of  the  atmosphere  and  of  the  water. 

On  the  occasion  on  which  I  was  politely  allowed  by  th*^  governor 
the  use  of  his  stud,  I  proceeded,  accompanied  by  one  of  his  Excel- 
lency's servants,  right  through  and  round  a  great  part  of  the  island. 
Although,  on  the  whole,  St.  Thomas'  is  certainly  a  very  arid  spot — 
aifording,  in  this  respect,  a  strong  contrast  to  the  larger  Danish  island 
of  Santa  Cruz,  to  be  immeaiately  described — I  found  much,  in  the 
course  of  this  ride,  which  I  would  not  have  wished  to  leave  unvisited. 
The  gigantic  cactus  and  aloe,  growing  in  all  the  wild  freedom  of 
untamed  and  unchecked  nature — the  former  attaining  the  height  of 
thirty  feet  and  upwards,  and  many  of  the  latter  having  stems  of 
twelve  and  even  fifteen  feet  high — and  the  numerous  other  tropical 
shrubs  and  trees,  luxuriating  as  it  were  in  the  most  fantastic  shapes 
and  conformations,  constituted  a  scene  of  much  novelty  if  not  of 
great  interest.  Again  was  I  struck  with  the  adaptation  of  St.  Thomas' 
for  the  villanies  of  piracy.  In  these  numerous  lagoons,  bays,  and 
inlets — most  of  them  clothed  thickly  to  and  over  the  water's  edge  by 
the  deadly,  dark-green  mangrove — and  in  the  numerous  rocks  and 
reefs  which  line  the  shore,  the  marauder  had  a  ready  place  of  con- 
cealment before,  as  well  as  of  retreat  after,  the  attack.  The  days  of 
piracy  in  these  seas  are,  however,  now  numbered  among  the  things 
that  were.  At  least  attempts  of  a  piratical  nature  are  extremely 
rare.  But  only  a  few  years  ago,  some  relics  or  reminiscences  of  the 
infamous  trade  might  have  been  seen  in  this  island,  in  the  skeleton 
remains  of  parties,  who  had  been  condemned  for  piracy  at  St.  Thomas', 
bleaching  in  the  sun,  as  a  warning  to  others  who  might  be  disposed 
to  adopt  similar  courses. 

On  returning  from  this  ride,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the 
scenery  I  have  already  described — viz.  the  view  from  the  brow  of  the 
hill  at  the  bottom  of  v/hich  the  town  is  built — under  a  new  phase, 
namely,  under  the  influence  of  a  tropical  sunset. 

The  English  mail  steam-packet  does  not  call  at  the  other  larger  and 
more  beautiful,  as  well  as  much  more  productive  Danish  island  of 

ST.  CROIX,  OR  SANTA  CRUZ, 

But  there  are  opportunities  of  visiting  it  to  be  had  from  St.  Thomas' 
(from  which  it  is  distant  about  forty  miles)  at  least  twice  a-week,  by 
excellent  sailing  packets  trading  regularly  for  the  conveyance  of  pas- 
sengers and  goods,  at  a  very  moderate  charge.  Sure  am  I  that  the 
stranger  who  visits  St.  Thomas',  and  leaves  the  Archipelago  without 
also  visiting  Santa  (^ruz,  will  have  great  reason  to  regret  his  doing 
so.     Santa  Cruz,  or  St.  Croix,  as  it  is  more  frequently  called,  lies 

7 


ITS  ROADS  AND  SCENERY. 


sOvi 


about  forty  miles  to  the  south-east  of  St.  Thomas',  in  longitude 
65°  28'  west,  and  latitude  17°  45'  north.  The  island  is  about  thirty 
miles  long  by  eight  or  ten  miles  broad.  It  is  extremely  fertile,  and 
very  verdant  and  beautiful ;  so  that  it  has  been  not  inaptly  termed 
the  "  garden  of  the  West  Indies."  From  the  salubrity  of  the  island, 
and  its  convenience  of  access  from  the  shores  of  the  great  republic  of 
the  Unite  i  States,  it  is  much  visited  by  the  Americans  as  a  place  of 
sanitary  resort ;  and,  in  a  very  comfortable  boarding-house  at  Frede- 
rickstadt,  St.  Croix,  (Mrs.  Rodgers')  I  found  several  invalids  from 
the  United  States  of  America  sojouruing  for  the  benefit  of  their 
health.  Nor  would  it  be  .'asy  to  point  out  a  location  better  adapted 
for  the  restoratioi  o^  t^-  ^.almonary  patient.  The  climate  is  warm, 
but  by  no  means  jiervfiringly  so;  and,  save  during  the  middle  of 
the  day — when,  of  i,  ■  •  ^  ..<  visitor  for  health  and  pleasure  is  under 
no  necessity  to  expose  .uuself  ■•  herself  to  the  unmitigated  influence 
of  the  sun's  rays — I  did  not  imu  the  heat  at  all  oppressive  or  un- 
pleasant ;  while  the  verdure  of  the  scenery — which,  even  at  the  time 
of  my  visit,  and  although  the  island  was  then  suffering  from  a  three 
months'  drought,  had  a  much  fresher  appearance  than  almost  any  of 
the  islands  I  had  yet  visited — was  exceedingly  remarkable.  The 
great  beauty  and  excellence  of  the  roads ;  the  superiority  and  general 
excellence  of  the  society ;  and  the  salubrity  of  the  sea-breeze,  which 
is  almost  constantly  blowing,  are  additional  circumstances  of  induce- 
ment to  make  Santa  Cruz  a  place  of  general  resort.  Indeed  the 
excellence  of  the  roads  which  coast  the  island  and  traverse  it  in  every 
direction,  is  perhaps  the  chief,  or  at  least  the  most  striking  of  the 
characteristics  of  St.  Croix.  Good  roads  are  not  very  common  in 
the  West  Indian  Islands.  Indeed,  as  a  general  rule,  the  roads  are 
very  bad ;  and  it  is  therefore  with  the  more  pleasure  and  surprise 
that  the  unprepared  visitor  enjoys  the  luxury  of  travelling  over  the 
smooth  avenue-like  roads  of  this  verdant  island  :  particularly  as,  in 
so  doing,  he  will  find  himself  in  many  of  his  drives  overshaded  and 
protected,  at  least  in  a  measure,  from  the  glowing  heat  of  the  sun, 
by  the  tall  branching  palms,  growing  sometimes  in  single  and  oft- 
times  in  double  rows,  on  either  side  of  the  smoothly  gravelled  way ; 
and  which  seem,  as  you  look  forward  to  them  in  a  straight,  vista-like 
view,  like  the  pillars  supporting  the  approach  to  some  gigantic 
cathedral.  Such  rides,  particularly  when  along  the  sea-coast,  and 
where  the  soft,  balmy,  tropical  sea-breeze  can  be  felt  blowing,  or 
rather  breathing,  round  the  frame,  are  associated  with  a  feeling  of 
luxurious  pleasure  which  must  be  seen  and  felt  to  be  appreciated. 
And,  during  my  too  brief  stay  in  this  garden-like  island,  1  enjoyed, 

through  the  kindness  of  my  friends,  Messrs.  L ,  K ,  N , 

&c.,  many  opportunities  for  such  enjoyment. 

Although  a  Danish  settlement,  and  the  chief  possession  of  Den- 


mark 
lish,  al 

island  [ 
the  enl 
island  | 
and  I 


FKEDERICKSTADT. 


in  longitude 
s  about  thirty 
ly  fertile,  and 
laptly  termed 
of  the  island, 
at  republic  of 
as  a  place  of 
luse  at  Frede- 
invalids  from 
nefit  of  their 
>etter  adapted 
nate  is  warm, 
;he  middle  of 
isure  is  under 
ited  influence 
ressive  or  un- 
n  at  the  time 
from  a  three 
almost  any  of 
rkable.     The 
y  and  general 
breeze,  which 
?es  of  induce- 
Indeed  the 
se  it  in  every 
iking  of  the 
common  in 
le  roads  are 
and  surprise 
ing  over  the 
ularly  as,  in 
irshaded  and 
of  the  sun, 
gle  and  oft- 
veiled  way ; 
ht,  vista-like 
ne  gigantic 
a- coast,  and 
blowing,  or 
a  feeling  of 
ippreciated. 
1  enjoyed, 
-,  N . 


mark  in  the  We'?;i  Indies,  yet  St.  Croix  has  a  great  number  .of  Eng- 
lish, and  abu  some  German  residents,  and  a  considerable  part  of  the 
island  belongs  to  natives  of  my  own  country — of  Scotland — whom 
the  enlightened  policy  of  Denmark  has  induced  to  settle  here.  The 
island  is  presided  over  by  a  Governor-general,  assisted  by  a  Council; 
and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  an  introduction  to  the  present  Governor- 
general,  his  Excellency  General  Hansen,  and  of  receiving  much 
kindness  and  information  from  him,  and  other  official  gentlemen  un- 
der him  in  the  island.  The  chief  town  or  capital  is  Christianstadt. 
It  is  so  named  in  honour  of  Christian  IV.,  King  of  Denmark,  and 
it  is  situated  on  the  north  coast,  about  the  lower  extremity  of  the 
island,  called  Bas-end.  It  is  a  substantial,  regularly-built  town,  of 
about  ten  thousand  inhabitants,  containing  a  large  Government 
house,  several  excellent  churches,  and  possessing  an  excellent  har- 
bour which  is  protected  by  a  fortress — the  only  objection  to  the  har- 
bour being  that  it  is  a  port  of  difficult  departure,  when  the  wind  i-? 
in  particular  directions.  Such  is  Christianstadt,  St.  Croix  noi". 
The  general  statement  of  the  residents  in  the  island  was,  that  it  hr.  ] 
fallen  off  in  population  and  importance  since  the  late  emancipatiori  *  ^ 
Denmark  of  the  slaves  in  her  colonial  possessions. 

At  the  other  extremity  of  the  island  (named  West  End)  strnds 
the  town  of  Frederickstadt,  built  more  in  the  style  of  modern  i- 
coast  towns  with  us — covering  fully  more  ground,  and  scarcely,  ii  in 
any  respect,  inferior  to  its  companion  town  of  Christianstadt;  al- 
though the  latter  enjoys  the  advantage  of  being  the  seat  of  the 
colonial  government. 

In  the  British  islands  of  Barbadoes,  Antigua,  St.  Christopher's, 
Montserrat,  &c.,  of  late  years  a  blight  has  attacked  the  cocoa-nut 
trees,  and  has  destroyed,  or  is  destroying,  iiiarly  the  whole  of  them; 
to  the  injury,  not  only  of  the  trees  them.jlves,  but  of  Mr.  H.  N. 
Coleridge's  fine  poetical  description  of  them,  wherein  they  are 
represented  as — 

•'  Palms  which  never  die,  but  stand 
Immortal  sea-marks  on  the  strand." 

The  first  part  to  suffer  and  decay  is  the  umbrella-like  canopy  of 
leaves;  and  this  graceful  finish  to  the  tapering  stem  being  away,  the 
stalk  is  not  only  deprived  of  beauty,  but  becomes  an  object  of  de- 
formity. This  has  been  the  cause  of  considerable  pecuniary  loss  to 
the  proprietors  in  some  of  these  islands ;  and  it  has  also  been  pro- 
ductive of  coosid'^rable  loss  of  beauty  to  many  of  the  scenes  the 
islands  exhibit.     For  myself,  I  confess  I  had  but  little  idea  of  the 

"  Palm  tree  waving  high," 


on  of  Dcn- 


until  I  saw  it  in  its  native  region,  and  relieved  against  the  deep  blue 


76 


SANTA  CRUZ. 


of  the  iropic  sky.*  My  impression,  when  in  Antigua,  was,  that  the 
few  trees  that  had  survived  the  eflFects  of  the  blight  were  beginning 
to  r  icover  therefrom,  and  were,  in  some  cases,  putting  forth  new 
leaves.  But  at  the  same  time  I  could  not  fail  to  acquiesce  in  the 
opinion  expressed  by  an  experienced  friend,  Mr.  Martii;  of  High- 
point,  &c.,  Antigua,  that  the  true  course  was  to  supply  the  deficien- 
cies produced  by  the  blight  by  planting  new  trees.  It  was,  however, 
to  be  regretted,  that  no  eiFort  to  do  this  was  made  in  any  place  or 
plantation  that  came  under  my  observation  in  the  English  islands ; 
and  I  was  therefore  the  more  ready  to  notice  the  fact,  that  not  only 
the  taller  generation  of  palm-trees  new  to  be  seen  in  Santa  Cruz 
(the  number  of  which  was  certainly  not  short  of  forty  or  fifty  thou- 
sand) were  in  full  health  and  vigour,  but  that  numerous  young  trees 
had  been  planted  to  supply  the  place  of  the  older  denizens,  when 
these  latter  had  met  the  fate  which  awaits  the  trunks  of  trees  as  well 
as  the  trunks  of  men.  How  this  desirable  end — the  obtaining  a 
succession  of  cocoa-nut  trees — is  attained,  I  could  no+  authentically 
ascertain,  further  than  being  informed  that  the  Dan'jh  Government 
had  made  it  for  a  long  time  imperative,  that  certain  quantities  of 
such  trees,  for  shade  and  refreshment,  should  be  planted  and  kept  up 
along  all  the  roads  throughout  the  island. 

Although  no  part  of  Santa  Cruz  rises  to  a  great  elevation,  (Pros- 
perity Hill  being  the  highest  land  in  the  island,  and  that  being 
only  about  eleven  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,)  yet 
there  are  many  scenes  of  exceedingly  picturesque  beauty  to  be 
found  in  the  island,  particularly  in  the  northern  portions  of  it, 
which  amply  merit  a  visit,  and  well  repay  it.  But,  at  the  same  time, 
it  is  the  verdant,  fertile  character  of  the  island  as  a  whole,  and  the 
superiority  and  comfort  of  the  planters*  houses  and  their  concomi- 
tants, that  form  the  characteristics  of  this  island.  Such  or  such- 
like properties  as  those  called  respectively  Canevalley,  Paradise, 
Adventure,  Fountain,  and  Castle  estates,  and  many  others  that 
might  be  named,  are  seldom  to  be  seen  in  any  other  of  the  West 
Indian  Islands,  and  their  condition  bespeaks  a  high  degree  either 
of  past  or  present  prosperity  on  the  part  of  the  proprietors.  That 
the  past  prosperity  of  Santa  Crua  has  been  very  great,  is  well 
known  to  all  acquainted  with  this  lovely  island.  Whether  such 
prosperity  is  to  attend  the  colony  for  the  future,  is  a  question  which 
makes  the  recent  and  all-important  change  in  the  condition  of  the 
negro  population — a  change  from  slavery  to  freedom — one  of  much 
interest  and  importance.     Denmark  had  preceded  England  in  her 

*  I  am  not  ipnorant  of  the  fact,  that  the  cocoa-nut  tree  (the  cocos  of  botany)  is 
supposed  to  be  indigenous  to  the  East  Indies,  and  thence  brought  to  America  and 
the  West  Indian  Ishinds.  But  it  has  now  been  so  long  domiciled  in  the  islands  of 
the  West  Indian  Archipelago,  that  I  think  it  may  fairly  be  considered  as  eutitled 
to  the  name  and  privileges  of  a  native. 


SANTA  CRUZ. 


77 


was,  that  the 
ire  beginning 
ig  forth  new 
liesce  in  the 
tii;  of  High- 

the  deficion- 
vas,  however, 
any  place  or 
vlish  islands ; 
;hat  not  only 
I  Santa  Cruz 
or  fifty  thou- 
s  young  trees 
nizens,  when 
'  trees  as  well 

obtaining  a 
authentically 
Government 
quantities  of 

and  kept  up 

ation,  (Pros- 
d  that  oeinjj 
he  sea,)  yet 
eauty  to  be 
rtions  of  it, 

same  time, 
ole,  and  the 
eir  concomi- 
uch  or  such- 
Paradise, 

others  that 
of  the  West 
egree  either 
tors.  That 
eat,  is  well 
hether  such 
stion  which 
ition  of  the 
me  of  much 
[land  in  her 

of  botany)  is 

I  America  and 

the  islands  of 

ed  as  eutitlcd 


abolition  of  the  slave  trade;  but  she  allowed  the  "Island  Queen" 
to  take  the  precedence  of  her  in  the  abolition  of  slavery  itself 
within  her  own  territorial  dominions — and  that  by  no  less  than 
sixteen  years.  She  has,  however,  now  followed  the  noble  example. 
By  the  very  brief  statute,  a  copy  and  a  translation  of  which  will 
be  found  in  Appendix  A,  which  is  dated  3d  July  1848,  all  the 
"  unfrec,"  or  slaves,  in  the  Danish  West  Indian  Islands,  were  from 
that  date  emancipated  from  their  previous  state  of  serfdom.  It 
was  the  knowledge  of  this  fact  that  first  induced  in  me  the  desire 
to  visit  the  Danish  islands  of  St.  Thomas  and  Santa  Cruz,  as  I  was 
desirous  of  seeing  a  population  on  whom  so  important  a  change 
had  so  very  recently  passed,  and  of  judging  on  the  spot  for  myself 
of  the  efl'ects  likely  to  accrue  from  the  transition,  and  from  the 
manner  in  which  it  had  been  brought  about.  I  say  the  manner  in 
which  it  had  been  accomplished ;  for  while,  in  the  absence  of  blood- 
shed attending  the  insurrection  of  the  slaves  which  took  place  in 
Santa  Cruz,  in  July  1848,  there  is  much  to  bo  thankful  for,  it  is 
certainly  to  be  regretted  that  the  Danish  slaves  received  as  the 
fruits  of  insurrection,  and  not  as  a  free  and  generous  boon  from 
the  Home  Government,  the  inestimable  blessing  of  freedom.  In- 
deed— and  after  hearing  a  detail  of  the  whole  attendant  circum- 
stances, and  witnessing  the  evidences  of  the  truth  which  surround 
one  on  every  side  when  visiting  the  island  of  Santa  Cruz — it  is  im- 
possible to  deny  that,  although  the  insurrection  preceded  and 
accelerated  it,  the  giving  of  freedom  to  her  slaves  was  an  act  of 
grace,  a  free  gift,  previously  resolved  upon  on  the  part  of  the  Danish 
government,  and  of  its  ofiicial  representative,  his  Excellency  Gene- 
ral Von  Sholton,  then  Governor-general  of  the  Danish  West  India 
possessions.  There  can  be  no  doubt  but  that  the  insurrection 
might  have  been  put  down  by  the  strong  arm  of  power,  if  the  Go- 
vernment and  Governor  had  so  willed ;  and  I  could  not  refuse  my 
assent  to  the  observation  which  fell  from  more  than  one  of  the 
leading  men  of  the  island,  that  it  is  almost  to  be  regretted  that  it 
was  not  so  put  down,  (the  gift  of  freedom  to  follow,  as  a  gift,  im- 
mediately on  its  suppression,)  even  although  the  doing  so  might 
have  been  attended  with  some  bloodshed.  It  is  dangerous,  always 
dangerous,  to  give  a  people — particularly  an  ignorant  people — an 
idea  of  their  power,  even  though  the  idea  be  a  false  one :  and  that 
the  negro  population  of  Santa  Cruz  have  such  an  erroneous  idea — 
that  they  ignorantly  suppose  that  the  Danish  Government  gave  them 
their  freedom  simply  because  they  could  not  keep  it  from  them — is, 
I  fear,  the  conclusion  that  must  be  drawn  by  every  one  who  hears 
these  poor  people  talk  grandiloquently  of  "  the  war,^  and  the  "  scenes 
of  the  war ;"  the  "war"  being  the  name  they  themselves  give  to 
that  short  and  bloodless  emeute  which,  commenciDg  on  or  about  Sa- 

6* 


78 


SANTA  CRUZ. 


iH 


turday  the  Is*,  of  July  1848,  by  a  ringing  of  bells  and  blowing  of 
conch  shells,  (tho  negroes'  favourite  horn  of  warning,  and  a  moat 
effective,  far-sounding  one,)  ended,  as  has  been  already  stated,  on 
Monday  the  3d  of  July  1848,  in  the  granting  of  entire  emancipa- 
tion. Even  at  the  outset  of  the  disturbance,  and  although  there 
were  then  but  few  military  in  the  island^  there  was  only  one  opinion 
as  to  the*  ability  of  those  few,  aided  by  very  efficient  militia  and  yeo- 
manry corps,  kept  up  by  the  European  population,  to  crush  the  so- 
called  "  rebellion,"  had  the  Governor  chosen  to  make  use  of  such 
materials  for  that  purpose.  But  it  is  more  than  suspected,  nay,  it  is 
openly  affirmed  and  generally  believed,  that  his  Excellency  favoured 
the  insurrection ;  and  it  is  by  many  even  supposed  that,  in  so  doing, 
he  was  acting  not  only  in  accordance  with  his  own  personal  views 
and  feelings  on  the  question  of  slavery,  but  in  accordance  with  in- 
structions received  from  the  Government  at  Copenhagen. 

After  the  insurrection  had  broken  out,  and  to  guard  against  any 
extensive  course  of  license  and  plunder  being  had  recourse  to,  the 
Governor  of  the  island  applied  for,  and  obtained  the  aid  of  several 
hundreds  of  Spanish  soldiers,  from  the  neighbouring  fertile  Spanish 
colony  of  Porto  Eico.  But  these  auxiliaries  were  not  called  into 
action  in  any  way,  so  far  as  I  could  learn ;  although  there  is  not  a 
doubt  but  that,  so  reinforced,  the  Danish  troops  and  island  militia 
might  easily  have  kept  or  replaced  matters  in  their  old  position. 
Apropos  of  the  Danish  troops,  I  was  exceedingly  pleased  with  the 
clean  soldierly  appearance  of  those  I  saw  in  this  island;  and  also 
in  the  neighbouring  island  of  St.  Thomas ;  and,  during  my  resi- 
dence in  either  place,  I  did  not  see  that  which  is  unfortunately  so 
often  to  be  seen  with  us — viz.  a  drunken  soldier. 

Although  the  Danish  Government  have  thus  liberated  the  slaves 
in  their  colonial  possessions,  they  have  not  yet,  at  least  had  not 
when  I  visited  the  island  in  April,  1849,  given  any  compensation 
to  the  proprietors  who  held  these  slaves,  and  cultivated  their 
estates  by  means  of  their  labour.  The  claim  for  compensation  had 
however  been  mooted,  and  confident  expectations  were  held  out  by 
well-informed  parties,  that  a  claim  so  just  would  certainly  be  at- 
tended to.  And  now  when  Republican  France  has  set  her  the 
example,  in  allowing  compensation  to  the  planters  of  Martinique 
and  Guadaloupe,  and  now  that  she  no  longer  requires  to  waste  her 
blood  and  treasure  in  the  Sleswick-Holstein  war,  it  is  to  be  hoped 
thc;t  Denmark  will  show  herself  worthy  to  be  placed  alongside  of 
England,  by  doing  all  she  can  to  compensate  her  colonists  for  at 
all  events  a  part  of  the  loss  they  must  have  sustained  by  the  mea- 
sure in  question.  It  is  only  to  be  hoped  that  the  compensation  to 
be  given  will  be  something  more  than  nominal ;  and  that,  while 
she  follows  France  in  the  principle,  she  will  not  follow  her  example 


SANTA  CRUZ, 


79 


d  blowing  of 
,  and  a  most 
dy  stated,  on 
re  emancipa- 
though  there 
r  one  opinion 
litia  and  yco- 
crush  the  so- 
use of  such 
ted,  nay,  it  is 
ncy  favoured 
,  in  so  doing, 
ersonal  views 
ance  with  in- 
t. 

I  against  any 
oursc  to,  the 
id  of  several 
rtile  Spanish 
)t  called  into 
here  is  not  a 
sland  militia 
old  position, 
sed  with  the 
nd;  and  also 
ing  my  resi- 
>rtunately  so 

d  the  slaves 

ast  had  not 

Dmpensation 

ivated  their 

nsation  had 

leld  out  by 

ainly  be  at- 

set  her  the 

Martinique 

0  waste  her 

to  be  hoped 

ilongside  of 

nists  for  at 

)y  the  mea- 

>ensation  to 

that,  while 

ler  example 


as  to  the  amount  to  be  given.     For  surely,  at  this  hour  of  tlio 
day,  and  after  the  experience  afforded  by  the  British  West  India 
colonies,  it  is  idle  to  suy  that  the  being  deprived  of  the  services  of 
their  slaves  as  slaves,  and  compelled  to  cultivate  their  lands  with 
them  only  as  freemen,  in  the  face  of  competition  by  the  Spanish 
colonies  of  Port  Rico  and  Cuba,  is  not  a  source  of  loss   to  the 
planters.     "  That  free  labour  is  as  cheap  to  the  planter  as  slavo 
labour,"  was  one  of  the  fallacies  which  prevailed  with  many  at  the 
time  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves  in  the  British  possessions  (in 
itself  a  measure  most  desirable,  but  most  unwisely  precipitated) 
was  carried  by  clamour  in  this  country.     Even  then,  there  were 
found  many  who  lifted  up  a  warning  voice,  and  told  us  to  take 
care  lest  the  effect  of  too  sudden  a  change  upon  the  condition  of  a 
race  whom  centuries  had  nearly  brutalised,  might  not  eventually 
prove  injurious,  and  retard  the  civilisation  of  the  very  parties  for 
whose  benefit  it  was  designed.     Many  able  practical  men  said  that, 
with  Porto-Rico,  Cuba,  and  Brazil  to  compete  with,  the  planter 
who  worked  his  estates  by  means  of  free  labourers  could  not  suc- 
cessfully carry  on  his  operations,  without  reducing  his  workmen's 
wages  to  such  a  minimum  as  would  leave  them  little  for  clothes, 
and  nothing  for  education — unless  in  some  way  or  other  he  got  a 
very  high  price  for  the  article  he  manufactured.     Yet  the  argument 
ad  captandum  prevailed ;  and  it  formed  at  least  part  of  the  causes 
which  led  to  the  emancipation  of  the  whole  of  the  slaves  of  Eng- 
land in  1834,  that  it  was  believed  that  slave  labour  was  to  the  full 
as  expensive  as  was  labour  by  means  of  freemen,  even  in  the  then 
state  of  the  West  Indian  Islands.     But  this  fallacy  is,  I  presume, 
pretty  well  exploded — at  all  events,  I  have  not  lately  heard  it ; 
and  stubborn  must  be  the  disciple  to  it  whom  the  effects  of  the 
Sugar  Duties  Bill  of  1846  upon  the  prosperity  of  the  British  sugar- 
growing  colonies,  has  not  convinced  of  his  mistake.     That  eman- 
cipation, by  any  government,  of  slaves  previously  held  as  property 
by  its  subjects,  in  virtue  of  laws  which  legalised  or  recognised  the 
existence  of  what  has  been  called  "  man's  property  in  man,"  must 
be  productive  of  loss  to  the  holders  of  such  property,  is  therefore 
a  proposition  of  easy  demonstration  here,  were  it  not  that  its  dis- 
cussion would  be  foreign  to  the  purposes  of  the  work,  or  at  least  to 
the  present  portion  of  it.  The  subject  has  naturally  presented  itself 
in  connexion  with  the  recent  slave  insurrection  in  the  island  of 
Santa  Cruz,  and  the  emancipation  by  the  Danish   Government 
whici:  f v/ixowed  upon  it ;  and  these  few  remarks  have  been  made 
upon  it  in  passing,  because  it  were  undue  concealment  to  hide  the 
fact  that,  anxious  as  I  was  to  see  the  matter  in  the  most  favourable 
light,  I  found  that  the  greater  number  of  the  most  intelligent  of 
the  planters  and  proprietors  in  Santa  Cruz — the  gentlemen  who 


80 


SANTA  CRUZ. 


had  the  largest  stake  in  the  matter,  and  who  were  best  acquainted 
with  all  the  details — entertained  the  gloomiest  apprehensions  on 
the  subject,  fearing  that  the  emancipation  was  an  end  of  the 
island's  prosperity,  and  that  it  had  been  gone  about  too  suddenly, 
and  with  too  little  regard  to  the  unprepared  state  of  the  society  for 
the  reception  of  the  boon,  to  render  it  likely  that  it  would  be  pro- 
ductive of  anything  save  a  lessening  of  their  comforts  even  to  the 
negro  population  themselves,  at  least  for  a  long  time  to  come. 
Such  certainly  were  the  views  I  heard  most  frequently  expressed 
at  the  tables  of  the  planters,  and  even  at  the  table  of  the  Governor- 
general,  during  my  visit  to  the  island;  and  it  is  therefore  only 
just  that  I  should  say  so.  There  were,  however,  others  who  took 
a  more  cheering  and  encouraging  view  of  the  matter,  and  of  the 
future  prospects  of  this  charming  island ;  and  most  sincerely  do  I 
hope  that  the  latter  may  prove  to  be  sound,  and  the  former  false 
prophets;  and  that,  as  regards  the  opinion  of  "anticipators  of 
evil,"  it  may  be  the  case  in  this,  as  in  other  instances,  that  the 
"fear"  and  not  the  wish  has  been  father  to  the  thought. 

Nor  should  I  omit  here  to  mention  the  fact,  that  both  parties, 
the  dismal ists  as  well  as  the  children  of  hope,  unite  in  giving  the 
present  Governor-general  (Hansen)  credit,  not  only  for  the  best 
intentions,  but  for  the  adoption  of  the  wisest  meafjurcs  for  the 
geaeral  prosperity  of  the  island  :  and  particularly  for  the  mea- 
sures he  adopted  to  lessen  the  rudeness  of  the  transition,  and  any 
injurious  effects  likely  to  result  therefrom.  In  particular.  General 
Hansen,  immediately  after  entering  on  his  duties  as  Governor- 
general,  passed  an  act  "  to  regulate  the  relations  between  the  pro- 
prietors of  landed  estates  and  the  rural  population  of  free  labour- 
ers," which  has  been  found  to  work  very  beneficially.  This  act  is 
known  in  Santa  Cruz  as  "  The  Labour  Act;"  and,  as  I  have  heard 
it  much  commended  by  many  planters,  even  in  the  British  colo- 
nies, as  containing  numerous  provisions  of  great  wisdom,  which 
mighi  be  advantageously  followed  by  ourselves,  I  have  deemed  it 
advisable  to  give  (for  those  who  may  wish  to  peruse  it)  a  transla- 
tion of  it  in  the  Appendix  B. 

Leaving  Santa  Cruz  and  my  kind  friends  there  with  very  great 
regret,  and  attended  by  my  countryman,  Mr.  Lang,  to  the  boat,  I 
sailed  again  at  six  A.  m.  in  the  West  End  packet  for  St.  Thomas ; 
but,  after  a  very  rough  handling  on  the  part  of  Neptune,  (who 
had  hitherto  proved  so  propitious  and  quiescent,  that  I  had  almost 
resolved  to  write  a  book  to  vindicate  him  from  the  aspersion  of 
faithless,  uncertain,  and  treacherous — 

'  Varium  et  mutabilo  semper" — 

with  which  he  is  so  often  assailed  by  poets  and  others,)  I  reached 


theB 

lying 
again 

in  thi 

joyme 

hangs 

I  was 

my  jo 


PORTO  RICO. 


81 


3t  acquainted 
ehensions  on 
.  end  of  the 
00  suddenly, 
16  society  for 
rould  be  pro- 
3  even  to  the 
me  to  come. 
;ly  expressed 
lie  Governor- 
lerefore  only 
;rs  who  took 
,  and  of  the 
ncerely  do  I 
former  false 
ticipators  of 
ics,  that  the 
iit. 

both  parties, 
n  giving  the 
or  the  best 
ires  for  the 
)r  the  mea- 
on,  and  any 
lar,  General 
,s  Governor- 
3en  the  pro- 
free  labour- 
This  act  is 
have  heard 
Iritish  colo- 
dom,  which 
deemed  it 
;)  a  transla- 

vcry  great 
ho  boat,  I 
Thomas ; 
tune,  (who 
had  almost 
ipersioa  of 


I  reached 


the  Bay  of  St.  Thomas  about  four  o'clock  a.  m.  of  next  morning ; 
lying  in  my  crib  on  board  the  packet  till  seven  A.  M.  I  landed 
again  at  St.  Thomas,  and  employed  the  additional  days  of  my  stay 
in  that  island  to  a  further  exploration  of  it,  and  to  the  daily  en- 
joyment of  the  superb  view  from  the  crest  of  the  hill  which  over- 
hangs the  town,  until  the  arrival  of  the  steamship  Tay,  in  which 
I  was  to  proceed,  and  did,  after  a  few  days,  proceed  onward  in 
my  journeyings. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

— "  Not  content 
With  every  food  of  life  to  nourish  man, 
Thou  mak'st  all  nature  beauty  to  his  eye 
And  music  to  his  ear." — Milton. 

"  The  wild  Maroons,  imprcpnable  and  free, 
Among  the  mountain-holds  of  liberty, 
Sudden  as  lightning  darted  on  their  foe — 
Seen  like  the  flash,  remembered  like  the  blow." 

Leaving  St.  Thomas  late  in  the  evening,  a  sail  of  some  twelve 
hours  brought  us  to  the  fortified  town  of  Saint  Juan's,  forming 
the  capital  of 

PORTO  RICO, 

One  of  the  Spanish  West  Indian  possessions,  situated  between 
latitude  17°  55'  and  18°  30'  north,  and  longitude  65°  40'  and 
67°  20'  west;  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  long  and  sixty 
broad,  and  containing  a  population  of  three  hundred  and  sixty 
thousand  inhabitants,  of  whom  only  about  forty-two  thousand  are 
slaves,  the  rest  of  the  population  being  composed  of  about  one 
hundred  and  eighty-nine  thousand  whites,  one  hundred  thousand 
mulattoes,  and  twenty-five  thousand  free  blacks.  Indeed,  it  is  this 
circumstance — the  smallness  of  its  slave,  and  indeed  of  its  negro 
population,  as  compared  with  the  number  of  whites  and  coloured 
people — that  may  be  said  to  form  the  chief  characteristic  of  the 
colony  of  Porto  Rico  :  the  circumstance  itself  being  accounted  for 
by  the  fact  that,  for  centuries,  the  island  formed  a  penal  settle- 
ment of  the  mother  country.  Not  having  done  more  than  land  at 
Porto  Rico,  I  cannot  add  my  personal  testimony  to  that  of  the 
many  travellers  who  have  attested  the  fact,  that  I'orto  Rico, 
though  not  so  romantic  as  some  of  the  other  larger  islands,  such 
as  St.  Domingo  or  Jamaica,  (being  much  flatter,)  is  an  island  of 
great,  nay,  of  excessive  fertility — diversified  with  woods,  valleys, 
and  plains,  watered  by  numerous  rivers  and  springs,  and  abund- 


82 


ST.  DOMINGO. 


^ 


antly  well  stocked  with  cattle  of  every  kind  and  description  com- 
mon to  these  islands.  Indeed,  the  value  and  extent  of  her  exports 
in  sugar,  molasses,  coflFee,  corn,  and  even  rice,  as  well  as  the  large 
revenue  she  yiel-^s  to  Spain,  sufficiently  prove  the  extreme  fertility 
of  this  island  ;  and  that  the  fields  of  Porto  Rico,  cultivated  as  they 
certainly  are  chiefly  by  white  men,  and  under  a  tropical  sun  oi  as 
overpowering  heat  as  is  to  be  found  in  any  other  part  of  the  West 
Indies—  Guiana  alone  excepted — are  as  well  cultivated  as  any  other 
of  the  tropical  possessions.  The  capital,  St.  Juan  de  Porto  Rico, 
with  its  fine  bay  and  extensive  fortifications,  looks  exceedingly  well 
from  the  sea ;  but,  like  most  Spanish  towns,  St.  Juan's  looks  best  at 
a  distance.  On  closer  inspection,  it  wants  the  element  of  cleanli- 
ness, so  valued  in  an  Englishman's  estimate  of  superiority  or  of 
comfort. 

Leaving  St.  Juan  de  Porto  Rico  after  a  short  stay,  and  coasting 
along  the  shore  of  the  island,  the  steamer  next  proceeds  by  a  route 
of  about  sixty  or  seventy  miles  to  the  k  rge  island  of 

ST.  DOMINGO,  lUSPANlOLA,  OR  HAYTI, 

By  nature  the  richest,  as  well  as  the  largest,  of  all  the  islands  in 
the  West  Indian  Archipelago.  The  island  of  Hayti  is  four  hundred 
miles  in  length  by  about  seventy-five  miles  in  breadth.  It  was  first 
discovered  by  Columbus  in  1492,  and  then  named  Hispaniola,  under 
which  name  it  was  retained  by  Spain  for  one  hundred  and  twenty 
years ;  and,  during  ber  despotic  rule  for  that  period,  its  population 
was  reduced  from  nearly  a  million,  to  only  sixty  thousand  inhabitants. 
Thereafter  it  was  jointly  occupied  by  France  and  Spain  till  1795, 
when  the  whole  of  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  French,  who  retained 
it  until  1804,  when  it  passed  from  their  hands,  and  was  proclaimed 
an  independent  empire  under  its  first  emperor,  Dessalines,  a  black 
chief,  who  "  assumed  the  imperial  purple,"  under  the  imposing  title 
of  Emperor  of  Hayti — that  being  the  ancient  if  not  the  original 
name  of  the  island.  From  1804  downwards,  the  history  of  this 
unfortunate  island  has  been  little  or  nothing  else  than  the  history  ot 
raj)iue — one  black  rising  up  to  contest  the  sovereignty  with  another, 
and  filling  the  island  with  scenes  of  confusion  and  misery,  which  go 
far  to  prove  the  theory  of  those  who  maintain  that  the  negro  race  is 
by  natural  incapacity  unfitted  for  self-government.  Indeed,  there  is 
scarcely  a  page  of  the  history  of  St.  Domingo,  *"rom  the  date  of  its 
occupation  by  Spain  (which  is  now,  by  a  retributive  justice,  doing  in 
her  own  person  a  kind  of  penance  for  her  gross  cruelty  to  the  in- 
habitants of  the  West  Indian  Islands)  that  can  be  perused  with 
pleasure  by  the  friend  of  humanity ;  unless,  perchance,  it  bo  that 
page  which  tells  of  the  heroic  struggles  for  iho  liberty  of  himsel 


and  fa 
Toussa 


ST.  DOMINGO. 


83 


oription  cora- 

f  her  exports 

I  as  the  large 

reme  fertility 

vated  as  they 

cal  sun  01  as 

of  the  West 

as  any  other 

Porto  Rico, 

eedingly  well 

looks  best  at 

nt  of  cleanli- 

riority  or  of 

and  coasting 
is  by  a  route 


■I, 

le  islands  in 
four  hundred 
It  was  first 
niola,  under 
and  twenty 
population 
inhabitants, 
till  1795, 
^ho  retained 
proclaimed 
I,  a  black 
iposing  title 
le  original 
ory  of  this 
le  history  ot 
th  another, 
y,  which  go 
egro  race  is 
led,  there  is 
date  of  its 
3e,  doing  in 
to  the  in- 
fused with 
it  bo  that 
of  himsel 


les 


and  fellows,  on  the  part  of  the  African  slave,  and  subser<uent  chief, 
Toussaint,  who  displayed  a  fortitude  in  adversity  and  a  moderation 
in  prosperity,  which  would  have  graced  a  person  of  infinitely  higher 
opportunities  and  attainments ;  and  whose  perfidious  seizure  and  de- 
struction, (in  the  dungeon  in  which  he  was  confined  in  France,)  by 
the  French,  reflects  very  little  credit  on  la  grande  nation.  Lately, 
in  this  present  year  1849,  St.  Domingo  has  been  the  theatre  of  a 
farce  which  promises  to  end  in  a  renewal  of  some  of  the  tragic 
scenes  of  which  her  poor  inhabitants  have  been  so  often  the  victims. 
After  having  been  for  some  time  a  republic,  under  the  government 
of  a  President,  and  when  it  would  almost  seem  as  if  the  tendency  of 
matters  in  Europe  was — right  or  wrong,  fault  or  no  fault — to  over- 
turn thrones,  empires,  kingdoms,  and  monarchies,  and  transform 
them  all  into  "  republics," — as  if  a  change  of  name  was  in  itself  a 
correction  of  abuses — the  ambition  of  President  Soulouque  has  in- 
duced him  to  try  the  adoption  of  a  difibrent  course,  and  by  a  little 
manoeuvring  he  has  managed  to  get  himself  elected  to  a  throne 
under  the  title  of  "  Emperor,"  and  by  some  such  imposing  name  as 
that  of  Soulouque  Faustin  II.,  Emperor  of  Hayti.  But,  of  course, 
the  Haytian  public  have  quite  a  right  to  please  themselves ;  and  the 
whole  matter  would  only  be  ridiculous,  and  as  such  might  have 
almost  escaped  notice,  were  it  not  for  the  contrast  it  bears  to  the 
events  lately  transacted  in  Europe ;  or  were  it  not  for  the  fear  that 
M.Soulouque's  transposition  from  president  to  emperor  may  just  be 
the  forerunner  of  a  renewal  of  those  contests,  in  this  island  of  in- 
dependent blacks,  of  which  there  has  for  some  years  been  so  much, 
and  so  much  to  deplore.  It  is  certainly  to  be  regretted  that  an 
island  so  fertile,  so  romantic,  and  so  capable  of  supporting  a  large 
population  in  comfort  and  luxury,  should  be  under  such  governance, 
and  have  so  many  appearances  of  a  retrogade  course  in  civilization. 
But  it  is  easier  to  deplore  the  fact  than  to  point  out  a  remedy ;  for, 
of  course,  (in  these  times  of  enlightenment,  when  it  becomes  nations 
to  consider  the  question  of  right,  instead  of  confining  themselves 
exclusively  to  considering  questions  of  mighty  before  engaging  in 
any  attempt,)  improvement  or  alteration,  to  be  effected  by  force  of 
arms,  is  not  to  be  thought  of. 

The  part  of  the  island  of  St.  Domingo  at  which,  for  the  present, 
the  English  steamer  touches,  is  Jacnicl,  a  somewhat  miserable 
village,  Tying  in  a  very  pretty  bay  on  the  south  side  of  the  island. 
Having  there  exchanged  her  mails,  the  steamer  proceeds  onwards  in 
licr  courwe  to  the  north,  and  next  touches  at  the  town  of  Kingston, 
in  the  island  of 


JAMAICA. 


"  'i  .1. 


JAMAICA, 

Well  known  as  tlie  largest  of  the  British  islands  in  the  West  Indies, 
situated  between  17°  and  19°  of  north  latitude,  and  76°  and  79°  of 
west  longitude.  Jamaica  is  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  miles 
long  by  about  sixty  broad.  This  noble  island  was  discovered  by 
Columbus,  during  the  course  of  his  second  voyage  of  discovery,  on 
the  3d  of  May,  1494.  He  named  it  Santiago — its  present  name, 
Jamaica,  being  simply  a  corruption  of  its  previously  existing  Indian 
one  of  Xaymaca,  or  "  the  land  of  springs" — a  name  which  at  once 
points  out  one  of  the  characteristics  of  this  island,  and  emphatically 
illustrates  the  value  the  inhabitants  of  the  tropics  assign  to  a  plenti- 
ful supply  of  spring-water. 

Jamaica  has  been  so  long  and  so  well  known  in  this  country,  autl, 
also  in  America,  and  it  is  now,  and  has  for  many  years  been,  so  often 
visited,  and  so  frequently  described,  that  it  were  out  of  place  were 
I  to  do  more  than  glance  at  its  history,  and  describe,  in  a  general 
way,  the  scenes  I  visited  when  in  it,  and  the  impressions  and  effect? 
the  produced  upon  my  mind. 

The  early  history  of  Santiago  or  Jamaica,  from  vhe  da+e  of  i'  , 
discovery  by  Columbus  in  1494,  and  during  its  occupation  by  ILe 
Spaniards,  until  the  year  1655,  when  it  was  taken  porfsessi<ni  • .;  by 
British  forces  during  the  Protectorate  and  iron  rule  el  (.'iiver 
Cromwell,  that  hardest  to  be  understood  of  all  V\c  rulers  ct 


^^^^ 


land,  is  well  known ;  and  it  is  as  well  known  thf/  ^'r.  corii^is-'s 
almost  entirely  of  a  series  of  narratives  of  cruelty  ana  oppression, 
perpetrated  on  the  persons  of  t)ie  unfortunate  aborigines,  viiich 
cast  a  deep  shade  over  the  memc  y  of  tl;e  great  discoverer  of  the 
New  World,  and  make  one  read,  with  sovn  ;thing  like  a  feelinor  of 
satisfaction,  the  details  of  th  il  strik  imd  t<  oign  aggrcssioi?  which 
have  ravaged  the  fertile  fields  of  Spam  in  later  years,  and  which 
seem  almost  as  if  they  were  acts  of  retributive  justice,  for  the  im- 
pious deceptior  s  and  atrocious  cruelties  perpetrated  by  the  Spaniards 
on  the  gentle  aborigines  of  the  island  of  Jamaica.  Seven  hundred 
thousand  Indians  disappeared  from  the  face  of  this  single  island, 
within  the  first  twelve  or  thirteen  years  from  the  date  of  its  first 
discovery !  Caves  are  still  to  bo  found  (or  at  least  found  at  the 
time  of  the  publication  of  Edwards'  book)  in  the  mountains,  in 
which  the  ground  is  covered  over  with  tlie  bones  of  the  unfortunate 
Indians,  whom  the  rapacity  of  the  so-called  Christians  had  driven 
ii)''^  iwih.  retreats,  and  who  preferred  the  dreadful  fate  of  perishing 
wi^h  hungv;r,  to  that  of  expiring  by  a  lingering  death  under  the 
heavy  "^''vitude  and  nrirdorous  cruelties  of  the  white  men.  Tlie 
fn  it  th-'t  an  islai.d, — described  by  the  discoverers  thcni- 


0 


t^injp'.e 


selves 
a  simpl 
ries  of 
of  somi 
his  shi 
painted 
trunk 
tion,  no 
volumes 
themseb 
curring 
says,  wit 
aborigin 
that  the 
liant  ren 
of  his  en 

I  have 
rcfrards  1 
actings  o 
may  be  i 
greatness 
the  posse 
was  valui 
nial  emp] 
fragment 

As  abc 
the  hand; 
in  1655, 
particulai 
second  to 
governor, 
there  is  i 
of  Spain' 

The  ve 
luxurianc 
of  the  m 
(which  a: 
constitut< 
indented 
bays;  am 
begins  to 
of  the  mc 
east  to  w 

"■  I  find  i 
surcd  l)y  C 


JAMAICA. 


85 


West  Indies, 
°  and  79°  of 
3venty  miles 
iscovered  by 
iiscovery,  on 
■esent  name, 
isting  Indian 
hich  at  once 
empbatically 
a  to  a  plenti- 

country,  &xA 
jeen,  so  often 
)f  place  were 
in  a  general 
IS  and  effe<?t5 

e  da+t  of  k  ; 
atiou  by  t!.e 

H.essioa  •:..■  by 
le  of  (.liver 
lers  ct   ■  ng- 

li  oppression, 
Igines,  viiich 
ivcrer  of  the 
a  feeling;  of 
issioi?  which 
I,  and  which 
for  the  iin- 
[ic  Spaniards 
en  hundred 
iglc  island, 
of  its  first 
»und  at  the 
luntains,  in 
lunfortunate 
had  driven 
if  perishing 
under  the 
men.     The 
jrera  them- 


selves as  being,  at  the  date  of  discovery,  filled  to  overflowing  with 
a  simple  inofiensive  people,  in  the  possession  of  all  the  necessa- 
ries of  life,  and  living  in  so  much  greater  luxury  than  the  natives 
of  some  of  the  other  islands,  that,  when  Columbus  visited  them, 
his  ship  was  surrounded  by  "canoes  of  large  size,  handsomely 
painted  both  at  the  bow  and  stern,  each  of  them  made  from  the 
trunk  of  a  single  tree,*  * — was,  by  a  few  years  of  Spanish  domina- 
tion, not  only  enslaved,  but  almost  entirely  depopulated,  speaks 
volumes.     Facts  such  as  these  require  no  comment :  they  speak  for 
themselves,  and  fully  prepare  the  mind  for  doing  more  than  con- 
curring in  the  gentle  reprobation  of  the  eloquent  Irving,  when  ho 
says,  with  reference  to  Columbus  having  sent  some  hundreds  of  the 
aborigines  to  Spain,  to  swell  his  triumph,  and  with  the  suggestion 
that  they  might  be  sold  as  slaves — "  It  is  painful  to  find  the  bril- 
liant renown  of  Columbus  sullied  by  so  foul  a  stain,  and  the  glory 
of  his  enterprise  degraded  by  such  flagrant  violations  of  humanity  " 
I  have  already  said  that  the  latter  pages  of  Spanish  history,  as 
re^rards  the  transactions  on  her  own  soil,  reveal  something  like  tho 
actings  of  a  principle  of  retributive  justice.  The  same  observation 
may  be  made  regarding  the  evanescent  character  of  her  colonial 
greatness.     The  discoverer  and  conqueror  of  South  America,  and 
the  possessor  of  sundry  islands  to  the  north,  and  of  nearly  all  that 
was  valuable  in  the  West  Indian  Archipelago, — the  immense  colo- 
nial empire  of  Spain  has  been  gradually  diminished  into  a  mere 
fragment  of  its  former  self. 

As  above  stated,  Jamaica  passed  out  of  the  hands  of  Spain  into 
the  hands  of  Great  Britain,  during  the  Protectorate  of  Cromwell, 
in  1655,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  Spanish  names,  and,  in 
particular,  of  the  euphonious  name  of  the  former  capital,  (now  the 
hocond  town  in  the  island,  and  still  the  residence  of  the  British 
governor,)  the  town  of  Saint  lago  de  la  Vega,  (Spanish  Town,) 
there  is  nothing  to  remind  the  visitor  that  the  island  was  ever  one 
of  Spain's  transatlantic  possessiono. 

The  very  first  sight  of  Jamaica  is  beautiful  and  inspiriting.  Tho 
luxuriance  of  the  tropical  vegetation,  combined  with  the  grandeur 
of  the  mountain  ranges  of  the  Port  Iloyal  and  Blue  Mountains, 
(which  are  fully  eight  thousand  feet  at  their  highest  elevation  ) 
constitute  and  create  views  of  rich  and  rare  beauty.  The  coast  iS 
indented  with  numerous  very  beautiful,  and,  I  believe,  very  safo 
bays ;  and  although  the  land  near  the  coast  is  flat  and  level,  it  soon 
begins  to  rise  as  you  journey  inwards,  until  it  ascends  to  the  height 
of  the  mountains  already  referred  to,  which  traverse  the  island  from 
east  to  west  almost  for  its  entire  length.     The  mountains  of  Port 

*  I  find  it  stated,  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  Irvinf;,  that  one  of  these  canoes,  mea- 
sured by  Columbus  himself,  was  of  the  almost  incredible  length  of  ninoty-six  feet. 


80 


JAMAICA. 


Royal  and  the  Blue  Mountains,  again,  are  intersected  in  every 
direction  by  deep  fissures,  glens,  and  "  gullies,"  formed  by  the 
convulsions  of  nature  during  some  one  or  other  of  the  many  earth- 
quakes from  which  Jamaica  has  suffered,  or  by  the  washings  of  the 
impetuous  torrents  (which  sweep  down  the  mountain  sides,  carry- 
ing everything  before  them)  during  the  frequent  hurricanes  by 
which  the  island  has  been  devastated.  And  these  glens,  fissures, 
and  ravines,  again,  being  clothed  to  their  bottom,  and  crowned  to 
their  crests,  by  a  great  variety  of  tropical  trees,  many  of  them  of 
gigantic  size,  and  most  of  them  of  exceeding  beauty,  the  result  is, 
that  at  almost  every  turn  the  traveller  is  delighted  with  scenes  of 
the  rarest  formation  as  well  as  of  the  greatest  beauty  and  gran- 
deur. It  has  been  said  by  some  one,  that  Jamaica,  as  well  as  Mar- 
tinique, has  scenes  "  surpassing  fable ;"  and  if  by  this  it  is  meant 
that  it  were  diflicult,  even  for  the  imagination  of  greatest  power, 
to  preconceive  the  extraordinary  fantastic  shapes  and  contortions 
of  mountain  and  of  glen,  into  which  nature  occasionally  throws 
herself  in  this  romantic  island,  notliing  can  be  more  just.  To  me 
it  appeared  (and  the  image,  though  a  plain  one,  is  the  only  one  I 
can  at  present  remember  which  gives  my  ideas  with  any  sort  of 
accuracy)  as  if  the  whole  island  had  at  one  time  been  in  a  boiling 
state,  ther  suddenly  cooled  down,  when  at  its  point  of  highest 
ebullition,  and  after  that  split  in  every  possible  direction,  and  the 
fissures,  so  formed,  clothed  with  noblest  flowers  and  foliage  to  their 
highest  heights  and  innermost  recessot 

It  is  among  ihe  Port  Royal  Mountains  that  the  coffee  planta- 
tions of  Janiuica  are  cliieily  to  bo  seen ;  and  it  was  on  a  visit  to 
one  of  these  that  I  first  .saw  the  remarkable  scenery  of  which  I 
have  attempted  the  above  ^^  v  ry  general  description.  An  account  of 
the  visit  will  aid  in  givi-ig  the  reader  a  more  determinate  idea  of 
the  scenery  in  question. 

The  ascent  from  Kingstnn  up  to  a  place  called  the  "  Botanic 
Garden,'^  for  a  distance  of  nine  miles,  is  by  a  tolerably  good  car- 
riii^e  road,  and  presents  no  fviatup  s  vequiring  special  mention, 
altli«'»ugh  for  some  time  ere  you  reach  Botanic  (jiarden,  the  scenery 
assumes  a  very  Alpine  chai actor,  and  the  mountains  of  Port  Royal, 
vnich  occupy  the  foreground  of  the  picture,  are  very  sublime. 
Froiu  Botanic  Garden,  to  what  I  may  call,  in  railway  phraseology, 
the  ''summit  level,''  is  by  a  bridle-path,  up  a  very  precipitous 
winding  ascent,  inaccessible  to  carringes,  and  only  to  be  travelled 
on  'lorses  or  mules.  From  various  points  of  elevation,  different 
superb  mountain-views  present  themselves;  and  from  the  moun- 
tain-top the  scene  which  opens  upon  you  is  certainly  one  of  the 
most  magnificent  that  can  \^ell  be  conceived.  It  stretches  away  in 
every  direction,  Whind  and  before,  on  either  side  of  the  Blue 


^ 


size, 


leav< 


JAMAICA. 


87 


ted  in  every 
)rmed  by  the 
3  many  earth- 
ishings  of  the 
sides,  carry- 
mrricanes  by 
;lens,  fissures, 
d  crowned  to 
ly  of  them  of 
,  the  result  is, 
rith  scenes  of 
aty  and  gran- 
3  well  as  Mar- 
lis  it  is  meant 
eatest  power, 
id  contortions 
onally  throws 
just.  To  me 
he  only  one  I 
;h  any  sort  of  ; 
m  in  a  boiling  t 
nt  of  highest  J 
jtion,  and  the 
bliage  to  their 

coffee  planta- 
on  a  visit  to 
ry  of  which  I 
A.n  account  of 
iinate  idea  of 

the  "Botanic 
bly  good  car- 
cial  mention, 
a,  the  scenery 
f  Port  Royal, 
very  sublime. 

phraseology, 
y  precipitous 

be  travello'l 
tion,  difterent 

11  the  monn- 
ly  one  of  the    i 

ches  away  in  j 

of  the  Blue  1 


Mountain  range,  and  seaward  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach.  Behind 
is  the  vale  or  glen  whence  you  have  toiled  to  an  elevation  of  some 
four  thousand  feet,  with  the  town  and  valley  of  Kingston  beyond 
it;  and  the  glorious  sea  stretching  away  in  the  far  distance,  as — 

"Without  a  TTifirk,  without  a  bound,. 
It  runneth  the  earth's  wide  regions  round." 

In  front  of  you  is  a  narrow  glen,  at  the  bottom  of  which  a  stream, 
called,  I  believe,  the  Yallows  river,  may  be  traced  like  a  silver 
thread  pursuing  its  tortuous  course  through  the  rock-obstructed, 
thickly-wooded  vale.  Beyond  this  glen,  and  overlooking  it,  the 
eye  rests  on  another  ridge  of  the  same  range  of  hills,  on  which 
ridge  the  mansion-house  of  Pleasant  Hill  estate  stands  conspi- 
cuous, perched,  as  it  were,  in  mid  air,  and  seemingly  (for  from 
the  place  the  observer  is  presumed  to  stand,  the  road  is  not 
visible)  only  to  be  reached  by  the  aid  of  a  pair  of  wings.  While 
still  onwards,  and  beyond  all  that  I  have  iittempted  to  describe,  is 
seen  the  gigantic  summit  of  John  Crow  Hill,  towering  over  every- 
thing in  that  particular  direction.  Again,  when  the  attention  of 
the  observer  is  turned  to  either  side,  he  is  even  still  more  entranced 
with  the  occasional  views  he  will  get,  at  different  parts  of  the  road, 
of  the  cloud-capped  peak  of  the  Blue  Mountain  range  on  iie  one 
side  of  him,  or  of  the  almost  equally  magnificent  summit;  called 
St.  Catherine's  Peak  on  the  other. 

The  trees  that  the  European  visitor  will  meet  with  in  such  a 
journey  as  this,  will  greatly  interest  him.  In  describing  a  ride  in 
another  part  of  the  island,  I  shall  have  occasion  to  notice  the  ex- 
treme size  and  graceful  beauty  of  the  bamboos ;  but,  in  the  course 
of  my  excursions  among  the  mountain  scenery  of  Jamaica,  I  did 
not  observe  any  tree  that  appeared  to  me  more  remarkable  than 
the  silk  cotton-tree,  (Bombax,)  of  which  I  had  already  seen  some 
extraordinary  specimens  in  Antigua,,  and  particularly  in  the  ascent 
to  Fig-Tree  liVl  in  that  island.  Many  of  these  trees  are  of  great 
size,  being  not  less  than  fifteen  feet  in  diameter;  and,  as  they  grow 
in  the  most  fantastic  shapes  and  directions,  without  any  regard  to 
symmetry  or  regularity,  throwing  their  larger  branches  out  at 
right  angles  with  the  trunk,  and  the  smaller  branches  almost  at 
right  angles  with  their  larger  ones,  the  whole  being  nearly  bare  of 
leaves  and  covered  over  with  a  parasitic  plant,  (resembling  the 
pine-apple  plant  somewhat  in  shape,)  the  result  is  an  appearance 
which  entitles  it  to  be  considered  as  a  monster  amongst  forest 
trees.  In  its  massive  sturdy  proportions,  and  naked  appearance, 
the  silk  cotton-tree  called  up  the  poet's  description  so  often  applied 
to  the  British  oak,  as  it  stands,  or  withstands,  the  blasts  of  winter 
in  our  northern  clime  : — 


88 


JAMAICA. 


I 


''  I'oiiderc  (ixa  suo  est,  nudosque  per  aera  ramos  P 

Attolens,  trunco  non  ft-oiidibus  efficit  umbnun."  ! 

The  name  of  "  silk  cotton-treo  "  is  derived  from  its  producing  a  potl 
filled  with  a  silky  white  substance,  which  is  of  a  very  short  fibre ;  ; 
and  of  which  I  could  not  ascertain  that  any  use  was  made  in  any  of 
the  islands.  Next  to  this  remarkable  production  of  nature,  the 
tamarind-tree,  the  largest  specimens  of  which,  however,  are  to  be 
found  in  the  valleys,  attracted  most  of  my  attention.  Indeed,  the 
West  Indian  tamarind-tree  appeared  to  my  eye  one  of  the  most  beau- 
tiful trees  I  had  ever  seen.  It  does  not  grow  to  a  great  height,  being 
seldom  seen  above  forty  feet  high ;  but  it  sends  off  numerous  branches 
from  the  trunk  to  a  considerable  distance,  and  with  great  regularity 
— has  a  small  leaf  of  a  lightish  green  colour — has  a  very  pretty 
white  or  yellowish  flower,  with  red  veins,  which  gradually  forms  into 
the  pod,  (containing  the  tamarind  enveloped  in  a  pulpy  matter);  and 
whether  in  leaf,  flower,  or  fruit,  the  West  Indian  tamarind-tree  is  one 
of  the  most  graceful  trees  to  be  seen  in  any  part  of  the  world.  The 
beautiful  cedar- tree,  red  and  whi^e,  is  also  to  be  seen  in  great  abun- 
dance in  Jamaica ;  and  in  many  places  in  the  interior  may  be  like- 
wise found  the  mahogany,  the  ebony,  the  boxwood,  the  rosewood, 
and  many  other  trees,  valuable  on  account  of  their  uses  or  of  their 
tilnber. 

When  travelling  among  the  mountains  of  eTamaica,  and  particularly 
when  spending  the  afternoon  and  evening  at  the  mansion-house 
attached  to  a  coffee  plantation  among  the  Port  lloyal  mountains, 
(where,  seemingly,  far  away  from  the  heat  and  bustle  of  the  plains 
and  the  busier  haunts  of  man,  and  perched  more  than  half  way  up 
the  mountain-side,  at  an  elevation  of  nearly  five  thousand  feet  above 
the  level  ,f  the  ocean,  I  enjoyed  the  unwonted  luxury  of  a  fireplace 
with  a  fire  in  it,  and  the  additional  luxuries  of  cold  spring  water 
uniccdj  and  a  sleep  under  a  blanket)  I  was  surprised  to  find  myself, 
when  walking  in  the  evening,  surrounded  by  a  host  of  fire-flies,  I 
had  of  course  seen  these  insects  in  the  plains,  but  I  had  somewhere 
read  that  they  were  not  to  be  found  in  the  mountain  ranges ;  and  I 
was  certainly  not  prepared  to  find  them  more  numerous  at  the  ele- 
vation described  than  I  had  ever  before  known  them.  In  the  lan- 
guage of  the  poet — 

-    "  Every  hedge  and  copse  was  bright 
With  the  quick  fire-fly's  phiyfiil  light; 
Lilic  thousands  of  the  sparkling  f;ems 
Which  blaze  in  Eastern  diadems." 

It  is  said  that  these  insects  are  occasionally  enclosed  in  glass  oases, 
and  used  as  candles  j  and  although  I  should  think  a  million  of  them 
but  a  poor  substitute  for  a  gas,  or  even  a  candle  lamp,  I  do  not  doubt 
the  assertion.     Nor  do  I  doubt  the  truth  of  the  statement  mado  by 


Mr.  ,' 

eccen 

writte 

may  I 

object 

of  Ja 

shrub, 

It 
coffee 


•oducing  a  pod 
•y  short  fibre ; 
nade  in  any  of 
)f  nature,  the 
iver,  are  to  be 
Indeed,  the 
the  most  beau- 
,t  height,  being 
erous  branches 
reat  regularity 
a  very  pretty 
ally  forms  into 
y  matter);  and 
•ind-tree  is  ono 
le  world.  The 
in  great  abun- 
r  may  be  like- 
the  rosewood, 
ses  or  of  their 

lid  particularly 

mansion-house 

al  mountains, 

of  the  plains 

n  half  way  up 

and  feet  above 

of  a  fireplace 

spring  water 

o  find  myself, 

■  fire-flies.     I 

lad  somewhere 

anges;  and  I 

)us  at  the  cle- 

In  the  lau- 


JAMAICA. 


89 


n  glass  cases, 
illion  of  them 
do  not  doubt 
ucnt  made  by 


Mr.  iTurnbull,  in  his  book  on  the  island  of  Cuba,  that  "the  late 
eccentric  Mr.  Joseph  of  Trinidad,  (Cuba,)  assured  him  that  he  had 
written  several  volumes  by  this  sort  of  light."  But  whatever  they 
may  be  as  aids  in  literary  composition,  the  fire-fly  is  a  very  beautiful 
object  "  in  the  starry  light  of  a  summer's  night,"  on  the  hill-sides 
of  Jamaica,  flitting  about  from  flower  to  flower,  and  from  shrub  to 
shrub,  with  their  lamps  burning  with  a  clear  pale  flame. 

It  was  in  this  part  of  the  island  of  Jamaica  that  I  first  saw  a 
cofiee  plantation.  Indeed,  it  was  to  visit  and  inspect  such  planta- 
tions that  I  directed  my  steps  to  the  Port  Royal  mountains.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  cofiieo  plant  has,  for  a  long  time,  been  exten- 
sively cultivated  in  this  island.  Indeed,  the  whole  of  the  moun- 
tainous districts  of  Jamaica — and  this  includes  a  very  great  extent 
of  land — is  admirably  adapted  for  this  culture ;  and,  particularly 
since  the  declaration  of  Ilaytian  independence,  coffee  has  been  grown 
in  Jamaica  to  a  very  large  extent.  It  is,  however,  too  much  to  be 
feared,  that  the  days  of  its  profitable  culture  in  Jamaica  are,  for  the 
present  at  least,  at  an  end.  On  all  hands  was  I  assured,  that  nothing 
could  now  be  made  by  growing  coffee  in  the  Island  of  Springs  j  that 
few  or  no  new  plantations  had  been  formed  of  late  years,  and  that 
the  old  ones  were  gradually  going  out  of  cultivation.  NVere  it  for 
nothing  else  than  the  beauty  of  the  culture,  this  is  deeply  to  be 
regretted.  Anything  in  the  way  of  cultivation  more  beautiful,  or 
more  fragrant,  than  a  coffee  plantation,  I  had  not  conceived ;  and  oft 
did  I  say  to  myself,  that  if  ever  I  became,  from  health  or  other- 
wise, a  cultivator  of  the  soil  within  the  tropics,  I  would  cultivate  the 
coffee  plant,  even  though  I  did  so  irrespective  altogether  of  the  profit 
that  might  be  derived  from  so  doing.  Much  has  been  written,  and 
not  without  justice,  of  the  rich  fragrance  of  an  orange  grove;  and  at 
home  we  ofttimcs  hear  of  the  sweet  odours  of  a  bean-field.  I  too 
have  often  enjoyed,  in  the  Carse  of  Stirling  and  elsewhere  in  Scot- 
land, the  balmy  breezes  as  they  swept  over  the  latter,  particularly 
when  the  sun  had  burst  out,  with  unusual  strength,  after  a  shower 
of  rain.  I  have  likewise,  in  Martinique,  Santa  Cruz,  Jamaica,  and 
Cuba,  inhaled  the  gales  wafted  from  the  orangeries ;  but  not  for  a 
moment  would  I  compare  either  with  the  exquisite  aromatic  odours 
from  a  coffee  plantation  in  full  blow,  when  the  hill-side — quite 
covered  over  with  the  regular  rows  of  the  tree-like  shrub,  with  their 
millions  of  jessamine-like  flowers — showers  down  upon  you,  as  you 
ride  up  between  the  plants,  a  perfume  of  the  most  delicately  deli- 
cious description.  'Tis  worth  going  to  the  West  Indies  to  see  the 
sight  and  inhale  the  perfume. 

The  coffee  plant  is  not  a  native  of  the  West  Indies,  and  the  his- 
tory of  its  introduction  into  these  islands  is  worth  recording.  The 
tree  or  plant  was  first  brought  by  the  Dutch  from  Mocha  into  Ba- 

8* 


€0 


JAMAICA. 


tavia,  and  the  bean  or  fruit  was  first  sold  in  Europe  at  the  fair  of 
St.  Germalns  in  1072.  Thereafter,  it  was  introduced  into  France 
by  Louis  XIV.  as  an  exotic ;  and  this  introduction  of  the  tree  into 
Europe  led  to  its  being  transferred  in  1720  into  the  French  island 
of  Martinique.  From  Martinique  the  French  transplanted  some 
of  the  shrubs  to  St.  Domingo,  and  thence  the  coifee  plant  spread 
to  Jamaica  and  the  other  West  Indian  Islands.  It  grows  best  on 
the  hill-sides,  at  a  considerable  elevation ;  and  when  grown  in  the 
plains  (as  in  Porto  Ilico,  Dcmerara,  &c.,)  it  requires  to  have  such 
loftier  trees  and  shrubs  as  the  orange  or  the  plantain,  &c.,  planted 
between  the  rows  of  coffee-trees  or  bushes,  to  shelter  them  from  the 
ardour  of  the  meridian  sun.  On  the  mountain-side  the  coffee  plant 
is  longer  of  coming  to  maturity,  by  reason  of  the  greater  coolness  j 
and  for  the  same  reason  it  continues  to  bear  fruit  for  a  longer  term 
of  years.  In  the  plains  it  sooner  attains  maturity,  and  is  sooner 
exhausted  by  bearing ;  and  this  fact  explains  and  accounts  for  tlic 
contrariety  of  statements  regarding  the  date  at  which  the  coffee 
plant  arrives  at  maturity,  or  the  length  of  its  fruit-bearing  season. 
Both  vary  according  to  the  climate  in  which  the  plant  is  grown ; 
or,  what  is  the  same  thing,  according  to  the  elevation  at  which  it 
is  grown.  And  thus  the  inquirer  may  be  on  one  occasion  truth- 
fully told  that  the  coffee  plant  arrives  at  perfestion  in  four  or  five 
years,  and  ceases  to  bear  at  forty  or  fifty  years  of  age ;  and  on 
another,  with  equal  truth,  that  it  takes  eight  or  ten  years  to  arrive 
at  maturity,  but  lasts  till  seventy  or  eighty  years  of  age. 

In  a  "caffetal"  or  coffee  plantation,  the  plants  (which  are  grown 
from  suckers  or  slips)  are  planted  in  regular  rows — each  plant  being 
allowed  a  space  of  from  six  to  ten  feet  square  to  develop  itself.  If 
left  to  itself  the  plant  or  bush  would  grow  to  a  height  of  seven  or 
eight  feet,  or  occasionally  higher,  but  it  is  kept  down  by  pruning, 
to  about  four  feet  high.  The  leaves  are  of  the  dark-green  hue,  and 
also  of  the  form  of  the  leaves  of  the  common  laurel,  but  smaller; 
and  the  flowers  are  white,  in  every  respect  like  those  of  the 
jessamine,  save  only  that  those  of  the  coffee  plant  are  somewhat 
larger.  The  berries  are  like  small  cherries,  and,  like  cherries, 
they  progress  in  ripeness,  from  green  to  black  or  purple.  The 
berries  are  also  sweet  and  pulpy,  and  each  of  them  contains  two 
seeds — which  seeds  constitute  what  is  with  us  called  coffee  beans. 
The  processes  of  preparing  coffee  for  the  market  are,  pruning,  pick- 
ing, pulping,  drying,  and  separating,  which  may  be  very  shortly 
described  as  folloAVS  : — Pruning  consists  in  tending  the  plants,  and 
seeing  that  they  do  not  waste  their  strength  in  growing  wood  in- 
stead of  fniit.  Picking  is  pulling  the  berries,  carefully  selecting 
only  those  that  are  ripe,  and  leaving  the  immature  to  be  ripened 
by  the  sun ;  and  it  is  in  this  part  of  the  process  that  the  want  of 


i 


labo 

the 

the 


JAMAICA. 


91 


1  at  the  fjiir  of 
I  into  France 
f  the  tree  into 
French  island 
^planted  some 
3  plant  spread 
grows  best  on 
grown  in  the 
i  to  have  such 
1,  &c.,  planted 
;hem  from  the 
he  coffee  plant 
ater  coolness ; 
a  longer  term 
and  is  sooner 
counts  for  tlio 
lich  the  coffee 
earing  season. 
ant  is  grown ; 
on  at  which  it 
iccasion  truth- 
in  four  or  five 
age ;  and  on 
'^ears  to  arrive 
age. 

ich  are  grown 
ih  plant  being 
dop  itself.    If 
t  of  seven  or 
by  pruning, 
peen  hue,  and 
but  smaller  J 
those  of  the 
.re  somewhat 
ike  cherries, 
)urple.     The 
contains  two 
coffee  beans, 
runing,  pick- 
very  shortly 
3  plants,  and 
ing  wood  in- 
lly  selecting 

0  be  ripened 

1  the  want  of 


1 


labourers  in  some  of  our  British  "West  Indian  colonies  (or  rather 
the  difficulty  of  getting  the  labourers  to  work)  is  chiefly  felt.  On 
the  coffee  plant  the  blossom,  the  unripe,  and  ripe  fruit  may  occa- 
sionally be  seen  all  at  once ;  and  hence  it  is  that,  in  "  picking  " 
properly,  the  plant  requires  to  be  visited  frequently,  for  the  pur- 
pose, in  the  course  of  a  season.  In  the  Spanish  island  of  Porto 
ilico,  where  labour  is  plentiful,  and  where  there  are  means  of  com- 
pelling it,  this  is  easily  accomplished.  The  "  pickers  "  visit  the 
plant  frequently ;  and  the  result  is  shown  in  the  equal  condition 
of  the  berries  removed  on  each  occasion.  But  in  Jamaica,  where 
labour  is  scarce,  and  where  there  are  no  means  of  inducing  the  la- 
bourers to  work  even  at  this  light  species  of  task,  save  by  the 
temptation  of  excessive  wages,  (and  even  that  does  not  always  suc- 
ceed,) the  proprietor  or  manager  of  the  caffetal  is  glad  to  get  his 
coffee  plants  picked  when  and  in  what  manner  he  can  procure 
labourers  to  do  it.  The  consequences  may  be  anticipated.  Pulp- 
ing is  performed  by  a  "  pulping  mill,"  an  engine  of  very  ingenious 
construction,  which  deprives'  the  seed,4  of  the  pulp  by  which  they 
are  surrounded,  and  also  of  the  outer  skin  of  the  berry.  The  two 
seeds  found  in  each  berry  are  thus  separated,  and  each  of  them  is 
then  found  to  be  covered  with  a  thin  paper-like  skin,  which  is 
taken  off  by  another  mill,  adapted  for  the  purpose.  To  be  dried, 
the  seeds  are  exposed  to  the  sun  on  a  "  barbacue  "  or  flat  place, 
on  the  hill-top  or  hill-side,  made  with  lime,  plaster  of  Paris,  and 
some  other  materials,  (like  a  very  dry  malting  floor)  where  the 
coffee-seeds  are  allowed  to  remain  some  time,  (great  care  being 
taken  to  preserve  them  from  wet)  and  after  th's  the  coffee-beans 
are  removed  from  the  barbecue,  and  the  broken  and  inferior  seeds 
separated  from  the  rest — which  rest  are  then  ready  to  be  put  into 
bags,  and  conveyed  by  donkeys,  mules,  and  horses  across  the  moun- 
tains of  Port  lioyal  to  the  town  of  Kingston,  for  sale  or  for  ship- 
ment. 

Such  is  a  very  general  description  of  coffee-growing,  picking, 
and  preparing,  as  practised  in  the  island  of  Jamaica.  In  some 
plantations  the  smaller  seeds,  and  also  the  bruised  or  broken  ones, 
are  separated  from  the  better  kind  by  a  mill  for  the  purpose;  but 
more  generally  this  is  done  by  hand — this  part  of  the  process,  as 
is  also  the  picking,  being  conducted  by  women  and  children.  In 
some  coffee  plantations  there  are  more  numerous  appliances  for  ac- 
complishing the  different  processes  speedily  and  effectually  than 
are  to  be  found  in  others.  But,  in  general,  they  are  all  as  above 
described ;  and,  as  before  stated,  it  is  a  very  pretty  cultivation, 
and  a  very  cleanly  process  of  preparation.  Sorry,  therefore,  was  I 
to  learn  on  the  spot  that  the  competition  of  slave-grown  coffee  in 
the  home  market  of  Great  Britain  was  likely  to  prove  so  great  as 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


// 


1.0 


I.I 


1.25 


21    12.5 


2.2 


*-     I. 

M 

1.4    11 1.6 


Hioliographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


23  WIST  MAIM  STRHT 

WnSTIR.N.Y.  14SI0 

(716)«7a-'503 


JAMAICA. 


^S,  > 


.  i:^^ 


to  drive  the  Jamaica  cofFee-plrnters  out  of  the  trade.     This,  how-  abo^ 

ever,  is  but  one  of  the  many  injurious  eflFects  which  have  arisen  eleg 

from  the  Ministry  of  the  day  having  included  the  West  Indian 
colonies  within  the  application  of  their  category  of  free  trade,  (as 
regards  their  exports,)  unmindful  or  regardless  of  the  fact  that,  by 
previous  legislation,  the  inhabitants  of  these  colonies  had  been  de- 
piived  of  the  power  to  cultivate  their  estates  by  means  of  slaves — 
their  competitors  in  the  populous  and  rich  colonial  possessions  of 
Spain  and  Portugal  having  it  still  in  their  power  so  to  do;  forget- 
ful, in  short,  of  the  circumstances  which  render  the  case  of  the 
British  West  Indian  planter  an  exceptional  one. 

Returning  to  Kingston  from  a  visit  to  the  coflFee  plantations  among 
the  Port  Royal  mountains,  the  visitor  may  vary  the  scene  by  taking 
a  somewhat  different  route  than  that  by  which  he  went.  I  did  so,  and 
returned  by  a  road  which  led  me  across  the  summit  at  a  different 
point,  and  by  a  gorge  or  cleft,  which  is  so  totally  unseen  until  the 
traveller  is  just  in  it,  that  you  are  actually  rounding  the  bluff  corner 
or  point  ere  you  can  persuade  yourself  that  there  can  be  a  means  of 
exit  in  that  direction.  The  road,  or  bridle-path  in  question,  pursues 
its  way  down  the  mountains,  passing  the  barracks  at  Newcastle, 
which  lie  a  little  at  the  right.  This  garrison  at  Newcastle  stands 
very  beautifully  among  the  mountain  scenery,  at  an  elevation,  little, 
if  anything,  short  of  three  thousand  feet. 

To  describe  the  scenery  of  this  day's  ride,  were  almost  to  repeat 
what  has  been  already  written  of  the  ascent.  Though  different,  it 
was  still  the  same — sufficiently  varied  to  give  renewed  delight  to  the 
wanderer  in  search  of  the  picturesque  or  grand,  but  not  sufficiently 
different  to  enable  one — or  at  least  one  not  an  adept  at  describing 
scenery — to  record  its  peculiar  characteristics,  in  such  a  way  as  to 
make  the  details  interesting  to  the  general  reader.  Indeed,  the  same 
remark  may  be  made  respecting  the  whole  of  the  mountain  scenery 
of  Jamaica.  It  is  unquestionably  very  grand — ofttimes  surprisingly 
and  sublimely  so ;  and  many  of  its  scenes  of  enchantment  are  en- 
shrined among  my  most  valued  recollections  of  the  kind :  but  they 
are  so  marked  by  the  same  general  features,  that  they  may  be  often 
described  in  nearly  the  same  general  way.  At  all  events,  and  un- 
less the  writer  had  the  descriptive  talent  of  a  Scott  or  of  «v  Dickens, 
it  were  not  easy  to  give  such  variety  to  the  written  portraiture  as  to 
render  it  interesting  to  a  reader.  Very  different,  however,  is  it  in 
the  inspection.  Then  there  is  the  perception  of  an  unceasing  variety, 
which  prevents  the  possibility  of  &  feeling  of  sameness.  :       — 

Something  has  already  been  written  of  the  exceeding  beauty,  or  ZT^. 

rather  grace,  of  the  bamboo-tree.  It  was  in  a  visit  to  a  scene  in  the 
island  of  Jamaica^  of  a  different  description  from  the  mountain  suenes 


This,  how- 
have  arisen 
West  Indian 
ee  trade,  (as 
fact  that,  by 
lad  been  de- 
3  of  slaves — 
tossessions  of 
)  do ;  forget- 
case  of  the 

ations  among 
me  by  taking 
I  did  so,  and 
at  a  different 
len  until  the 
3  bluff  corner 
)e  a  means  of 
ition,  pursues 
t  Newcastle, 
rcastle  stands 
vation,  little, 

ost  to  repeat 

different,  it 
elight  to  the 

sufl&ciently 
it  describing 

a  way  as  to 
ed,  the  same 
tain  scenery 
surprisingly 
nent  are  en- 
but  they 
lay  be  often 
its,  and  un- 

«v  Dickens, 
*aiture  as  to 
5ver,  is  it  in 
ling  variety, 

beauty,  or 
cene  in  the 
utain  suenes 


JAMAICA. 


above  delineated,  that  my  attention  was  most  directed  to  the  peculiar 
elegance  of  this  tree,  with 

"  Its  feathery  tufts,  like  plumage  rare ; 
Its  stem  BO  high,  so  strange,  so  fair." 

And  the  view  I  refer  to  was  one  which  the  traveller  in  the  Island  of 
Springs  should  on  no  account  leave  unvisited.  It  rejoices  in  the 
somewhat  strange  cognomen  of  the  "  Bog  Walk,"  but  might  much 
more  fittingly  be  denominated  the  Mountain  Glen  or  the  Dark  Val- 
ley. I  visited  it  when  en  route  to  visit  one  of  the  most,  if  not  the 
most,  beautiful  and  fertile  sugar-plantations  in  the  island  of  Jamaica, 
(in  compliance  with  the  invitation  of  its  enthusiastic,  enterprising, 
and  talented  owner,  who  had  been  my  fellow-voyager  from  England 
to  Barbadoes,  and  who,  if  ever  these  lines  meet  his  eye,  will,  I  trust, 
remember  the  meeting  with  the  same  pleasure  that  I  do;)  and  an 
account  of  the  whole  ride  will,  I  hope,  not  prove  unacceptable  to  the 
reader  who  is  desirous  of  knowing  something  of  a  European's  feel- 
ings and  experiences  in  the  island  of  Jamaica. 

As  far  as  Spanish  Town — or  (as  I  would  prefer  calling  it,  for  the 
sake  of  euphony,  by  its  Spanish  name)  as  far  as  St.  lago  de  la  Vega 
— the  route  is  by  railway,  a  distance  of  thirteen  miles,  performed  in 
about  half  an  hour,  travelled  by  locomotives,  passing  through  a  low, 
flat  country,  now  almost  completely  grown  over  with  bush,  (a  species 
of  prickly  acacia,)  but  which,  I  was  assured,  was  some  years  ago 
qlear,  a  large  part  of  it  being  excellent  pasture  land. 

Spanish  Town,  though  the  seat  of  the  government  and  the  capital, 
does  not  afford  many  objects  of  interest.  The  Government-house  is 
a  spacious  building,  and  the  square  in  which  it  Etands  is  neat,  and 
neatly  planted.  In  this  square  there  is  a  marble  statue,  executed  by 
Bacon,  erected  to  the  memory  of  Lord  Rodney,  in  acknowledgment 
of  the  services  rendered  by  him  to  his  country  on  the  occasion  of  the 
signal  victory  obtained  by  him  and  Hood  in  the  West  Indies,  on  the 
12th  April  1782,  over  the  combined  fleets  of  France  and  Spain, 
when  they  threatened  an  attack  upon  Jamaicr,.  This  victory  was  ob- 
tained at  a  time  when  Great  Britain  was  contending  with  her  re- 
volted American  colonies — which  opportunity  had  been  seized  by 
France,  assisted  by  Spain,  for  inflicting  a  blow  against  her  island 
rival.  I  confess  that,  although  the  efforts  of  Jonathan  to  assert  and 
to  maintain  his  independence,  and  even  his  success  in  doing  so,  never 
moved  my  bile — although,  indeed,  I  regard  such  struggles  and  such 
success,  in,  a  strife  for  liberty,  as  part  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  character 
— as  something  that  Jonathan  has  inherited  from  his  father,  John 
Bull — I  cannot  forgive  Franco  the  part  she  has  so  often  played  in 
the  unnatural  wars  between  Britain  and  the  States.  That  without 
the  aid  of  Franco^  America  could  not  have  succeeded — at  least^  could 


!    f 


m 


JAMAICA. 


not  have  so  soon  succeeded — in  vindicating  her  independence,  will 
be  acknowledged  by  every  candid  student  of  American  history,  on 
whichever  side  of  the  Atlantic  he  has  been  born  or  "  raised."  But, 
however  desirable  it  was,  or  might  be,  that  America  should  assert 
her  independence,  there  was  much  that  was  unworthy  in  the  motives 
which  led  France  to  throw  her  weight  into  the  scale ;  and  I  cannot 
help  regarding  the  growth  of  democratic  and  republican  principles  in 
France,  and  the  destruction  of  her  monarchy  and  monarchical  insti- 
tutions, with  the  uncertain  tenure  on  which  all  things  seem  at  pre- 
sent held  in  that  country,  as  a  kind  of  retributive  justice  towards  her 
and  her  rulers  for  their  ungenerous  conduct  towards  England  on  the 
occasion  of  the  wars  with  the  revolted  provinces  in  North  America. 
Be  this,  however,  as  it  may,  it  was  when  England  was  so  engaged, 
single-handed,  and  against  many  enemies,  that  the  naval  might  of 
France  and  Spain  was  humbled  by  the  victory  of  Rodney  and  Hood, 
thus  commemorated  in  the  llotle  square  of  the  little  town  which  re- 
joices in  the  euphonious  Spanish  name  of  St.  lago  de  la  Vega. 

The  road  from  Spanish  Town  to  the  village  of  Ewarton  passes 
through  the  scenery  I  have  already  referred  to  as  known  by  the  ex- 
traordinary cognomen  of  the  "  Bog  Walk."  As  far  as  Ewarton  the 
road  is  good.  A  few  miles  after  leaving  Spanish  Town,  you  enter 
upon  the  glen,  and,  for  a  distance  of  about  four  or  five  miles,  the 
eye  is  delighted  by  a  succession  of  romantic  scenes  of  singular  for- 
mation and  exceedingly  picturesque  beauty.  The  translucent  stream, 
alongside  of  which  the  road  winds,  has  forced  for  itself  a  passage 
through  the  opposing  barrier  of  rock,  which  is  occasionally  fully 
four  hundred  feet  high,  as  it  rises  overhead  on  either  side.  The  lux- 
uriant vegetation  of  the  tropics  has  clothed  the  sides  of  this  ravine 
closely,  and  to  the  very  summits,  with  a  host  of  flowering  shrubs, 
and  even  with  gigantic  forest-trees,  which  throw  their  dark  shadows 
down  upon  the  pathway ;  while,  overhead,  are  seen  glimpses  of  the 
deep  blue  of  the  tropic  sky — of  a  dark  blue,  and  of  a  liquid  clear- 
ness altogether  unknown  and  undreamt  of  in  our  less  genial  but 
more  bracing  climate  of  the  north.  The  whole  forms  one  of  the 
most  pleasing  scenes  it  has  ever  been  my  good  fortune  to  witness. 
Further  on,  in  the  same  ride,  are  to  be  seen  the  gigantic  clusters  of 
the  bamboo,  already  mentioned,  whose  feathery  foliage,  when  gently 
stirred  by  the  breeze,  moves  and  bends  with  all  the  grace  of  the 
plumes  of  the  ostrich,  and  is  indeed  "  beautiful  exceedingly."  These 
bamboo  trees,  as  they  may  with  propriety  be  called,  are  ofttimes 
seen  of  fully  one  hundred  feet  high,  each  stem  being  of  six  or  eight, 
or  even  ten  inches  in  diameter,  and  growing  in  tufts  or  clusters  of 
fifty  or  sixty  together,  their  nodding  plumes  hanging  over  your  head 
and  waving  in  the  wind,  as  the  traveller  passes  on  under  their  grate- 
ful shade. 


seen 
ton 


JAMAICA. 


m 


lendence,  will 
Q  history,  on 
lised."     But, 
should  assert 
1  the  motives 
and  I  cannot 
principles  in 
sirchical  insti- 
seem  at  pre- 
)  towards  her 
gland  on  the 
rth  America. 
3  so  engaged, 
(ral  might  of 
ly  and  Hood, 
ivn  which  re- 
.  Vega, 
'arton  passes 
n  by  the  ex- 
Ewarton  the 
n,  you  enter 
re  miles,  the 
singular  for- 
cent  stream, 
!lf  a  passage 
ionally  fully 
e.    The  lux- 
'  this  ravine 
ring  shrubs, 
ark  shadows 
apses  of  the 
iquid  clear- 
genial  but 
one  of  the 
to  witness, 
clusters  of 
Nhen  gently 
;race  of  the 
;ly."  These 
ire  ofttimes 
iix  or  eight, 
r  clusters  of 
your  head 
their  grate- 


Beyond  that  part  of  the  journey  entitled  the  Bog  "\7alk,  the 
scenery  of  the  ride  from  St.  lago  de  la  Vega  to  the  village  of  Ewar- 
ton  is  pleasing  and  often  fine;  and  after  leaving  Ewarton  the 
scenery-lover  progresses  into  a  mountainous  district  of  much  gran- 
deur, revealing  at  almost  every  turn  mountain  glades  where  sun- 
shine and  shade  repose  almost  side  by  side — forming  precipices  and 
abysses  whose  depth  the  eye  is  prevented  from  penetrating,  by  the 
deep,  close  fringe  of  foliage  that  covers  their  sides,  and  gigantic 
mountain-peaks  rearing  their  magnificent,  cloud-wreathed  heads  at 
almost  every  opening  in  the  forest. 

I  have,  since  my  return  from  the  voyage  of  which  these  volumes 
contain  a  brief  record,  observed  a  growing  tendency  in  the  public 
mind  in  this  country  to  regard  Jamaica  as  a  place  of  sanitary  resort, 
and  as  likely,  if  not  to  supersede,  at  least  greatly  to  interfere  with 
the  island  of  Madeira  in  that  respect :  and  certainly  truth  compels 
me  to  admit  that  there  are  few  places  to  which  an  invalid  from 
Europe  could  go  with  better  hope  of  benefit,  than  to  the  salubrious 
island  of  Jamaica.  The  voyage  which — particularly  when  adven- 
tured on  at  the  proper  season  of  the  year — is  ofttimes  the  most  bene- 
ficial part  of  the  change,  is  no  longer  than  that  to  the  more  fre- 
quented island  of  wine-growing  celebrity;  and  Jamaica  being  much 
larger  than  Madeira,  there  is  greater  variety  to  occupy  the  attention 
of  the  invalid,  and  to  prevent  the  approach  of  that  ennui  which  is 
apt  to  steal  over  the  exhausted  frame.  In  the  plains  and  in  the 
towns  of  the  Island  of  Springs,  particularly  in  Kingston,  it  is  warm, 
no  doubt — hot;  and  perhaps  to  most  persons  very  unpleasantly  so, 
being  but  seldom  under  100°  of  Fahrenheit  in  the  shade.  But  by 
going  a  little  way  into  the  country,  and  up  into  the  mountains,  the 
visitor  may  literally  secure  for  himself  or  herself  a  climate  almost  of 
any  temperature,  from  the  merely  temperate  heat  of  a  spring  or  a 
summer's  morning,  to  the  noonday  heat  already  mentioned.  Add 
to  this  that  the  change  of  scene  (which  is  always,  I  should  think,  of 
much  importance,  when  the  object  is  to  draw  ofiF  the  invalid's  atten- 
tion from  himself  and  his  own  feelings,)  in  going  direct  from  Europe 
to  Jamaica,  is  very  great,  much  greater  than  it  can  be  by  limiting- 
the  voyage  to  the  temperate  zone.  The  skies,  grains,  shrubs, 
flowers,  birds,  fish,  and  above  all  the  trees,  are  nearly  all  diflFerenfc 
and  in  diflferent  forms  and  combinations.  So  that  the  first  novel, 
and  no  doubt  often  painful,  impressions  worn  ofi",  there  is  abundance 
to  attract  and  occupy  the  attention,  to  the  exclusion  of  depressing  or 
other  thoughts  of  self,  even  during  a  very  extended  stay.  For  the 
British  visitor  Jamaica  has  this  further  advantage,  that  the  language, 
the  forms  and  the  arrangements  of  domestic  life,  and  the  public  or- 
dinances of  religious  worship,  are  all  nearly  the  same  as  those  of  the 
mother  country.    I  can,  therefore,  with  great  truth  and  satisfaction, 


JAMAICA. 


^'   .1 


add  my  humble  testimony  to  that  of  others  vrho  have  preceded  me, 
as  to  the  salubrity  of  Jamaica,  and  the  inducements  it  holds  out  as 
a  place  of  sanitary  resort  for  the  invalid — particularly  of  the  invalid 
whose  lungs  are  affected,  or  suspected  of  being  so.    But,  at  the  same 
time,  similar  remarks  may  be  made  of  some  others  of  the  British 
West  India  possessions.     So  far  as  my  own  personal  feelings  are 
concerned,  I  should  prefer  a  temporary  location  in  the  smaller  island 
of  St.  Kitt's,  with  the  advantage  such  residence  affords  of  an  occa- 
sional two  hours*  sail  to  the  romantic  isle  of  Nevis.     No  doubt  the 
island  of  St.  Christopher's  is  not  so  large  as  is  Jamaica ;  nor  are  the 
mountains  of  the  former  so  lofty  as  those  of  the  latter.     But,  if 
these  circumstances  prevent  the  variety  of  climate,  they  render  it 
more  equal f  and  I  have  often  heard  residents  in  the  West  Indies 
complain  of  injurious  effects  resulting  from  a  sudden  transition  from 
the  temperate  region  of  the  hill-top,  or  of  the  hill-side,  to  the  torrid 
zone  of  the  plain  below.     Again,  the  visitor  will  not  find,  in  the 
island  of  saintly  name,  so  great  variety  either  of  society  or  of  scenery 
as  in  its  larger  sister  island  of  spring  celebrity.     But  St.  Christo- 
pher's is  surrounded  by  a  number  of  islands,  particularly  by  those 
of  the  British  Leeward  group,  to  most  of  which  there  is  easy  and 
frequent  access;  and,  by  a  two  hours'  sail  to  Nevis,  or  b'y  a  sail  of  a 
few  hours  longer  to  Montserrat  or  Antigua,  or  a  day's  sail  in  the 
steamer  to  St.  Thomas,  the  visitor  who  makes  St.  Kitt's  his  head- 
quarters may  easily  vary  the  scene  almost  ad  infinitum.    This,  how- 
ever, is  a  mere  comparison  of  physical  advantages.    If  the  invalid 
has  friends  and  relations  in  either  place,  he  or  she  will  of  course  be 
influenced  by  that  consideration;  and  I  would  be  very  far  from 
making  an  attempt  to  dissuade  from  such  a  course,  although  it 
would  be  displaying  base  ingratitude,  and  doing  gross  injustice  to 
West  Indian  hospitality,  were  I  not  here  to  add,  that  there  is  no 
part  of  the  world  where  the  person  entirely  a  stranger  can  go,  with 
more  certainty  of  receiving  kindness  and  considerate  attention,  than 
to  the  British  colonial  possessions  in  the  West   Indies.     To   the 
native-born  subjects  of  Great  Britain  this  tribute  is  due.     But  they 
will,  I  trust,  forgive  me  when  I  add,  that  I  feel  almost  as  if  it  were 
doubly  due   to   the   colonial-born  subjects  of  our  noble  country. 
There  seemed  to  me  to  be  something  in  the  Creole  blood  that  en- 
gendered a  graceful  courtesy  and  disinterestedness  of  conduct — some 
generous  peculiarity  of  mind,  derived  from  the  fact  that  a  tropical 
birthplace  had  dissolved  something  of  the  natural  caution  of  the 
northern  race  to  which  they  belonged,  and  warmed  them  into  a  more 
generous  sympathy.     The  observation  applies  to  my  Creole  friends 
of  both  sexes.     As  regards  the  ladies,  I  may  be  permitted  to  add — 
and  I  make  the  addition  with  heartfelt  sincerity — that  to  a  natural 
kindness  (if  I  may  so  speak)  of  manner,  there  is  added  an  ease,  a 


grac 
of 


preceded  me, 
holds  out  as 
»f  the  invalid 
,  at  the  same 
the  British 
feelings  are 
mailer  island 
3  of  an  occa- 
[o  doubt  the 
;  nor  are  the 
ter.     But,  if 
ley  render  it 
West  Indies 
Einsition  from 
to  the  torrid 
t  find,  in  the 
or  of  scenery 
St.  Christo- 
rly  by  those 
i  is  easy  and 
by  a  sail  of  a 
3  sail  in  the 
it's  his  head- 
This,  how- 
P  the  invalid 
of  course  be 
iry  far  from 
although  it 
injustice  to 
there  is  no 
lean  go,  with 
ention,  than 
es.     To   the 
But  they 
as  if  it  were 
)le  country. 
)od  that  en- 
iduct — some 
it  a  tropical 
ition  of  the 
into  a  more 
reole  friends 
ed  to  add — 
0  a  natural 
d  an  case,  a 


JAMAICA. 


97 


grace,  and  a  beauty,  which  at  least  proves  that  they  have  lost  none 
of  the  charms  of  the  race  from  which  they  have  sprung,  by  their 
parents  being  transplanted  into  a  warmer  clime.  I  had  heard  some- 
thing of  the  beauty  of  the  Creole  ladies  ere  I  visited  the  West  In- 
dies. But  I  was  not  a  week  there  ere  I  felt  surprise  that  I  had  not 
heard  much  more.  And,  did  not  my  feeling  of  what  is  due  to  pro- 
priety and  the  duties  of  private  life  prevent  me  from  even  partially 
lifting  the  veil  which  ought  to  preserve  from  publicity  whatever  the 
traveller  may  have  seen,  through  his  having  been  admitted  into  the 
circles  of  domestic  life,  I  could  name  ladies,  married  as  well  as  sin- 
gle, in  Barbadoes,  Antigua,  St.  Kitt's,  Santa  Cruz,  and  Jamaica, 
(particularly  I  confess  in  Antigua,)  who,  in  personal  charms,  as  well 
as  accomplishments,  would  advantageously  compare  or  contrast  with 
any  of  the  fairer  part  of  creation  it  had  ever  been  my  own  good  for- 
tune to  meet.  To  the  fullness  and  dignity  derived  from  their  Nor- 
man blood  or  Anglo-Saxon  origin,  they  add  an  easy  grace  and 
elegance  of  motion,  probably  derived  in  some  way  from  the  circum- 
stance of  their  birthplace  being  within  the  tropics.  And,  albeit 
their  complexion  is  generally  pale,  this  very  circumstance  supplies 
an  additional  iaterest;  while  the  soft  languor  of  their  dark  eyes, 
with  their  long  eye-lashes,  give  many  of  these  Creole  ladies  a  very 
peculiar  charm.  Add  to  this,  that  it  were  difficult  to  find,  in  any 
part  of  the  world,  north  or  south,  east  or  west,  any  ladies  who  better 
discharge  their  relative  duties  as  daughters,  wives,  and  mothers, 
than  do  our  fellow-countrywomen  in  the  British  islands  in  the  West 
Indian  Archipelago. 

From  Kingston  the  traveller  may,  if  he  pleases,  have  an  opportu- 
nity of  visiting  Port  Royal,  where  the  chief  of  the  Government  works 
are  situated.  The  sail  is  by  excellent  wherries,  which  perform  the 
voyage  with  great  regularity  ;  and  the  fare,  (up  or  down,)  which  is 
fixed  and  determined  by  the  Kingston  authorities,  is  one  shilling, 
which,  for  a  distance  of  six  or  seven  miles,  is  certainly  moderate. 
This  voyage  is  generally  taken  by  the  visitor  to  Kingston  ;  but  it  is 
not  one  I  would  advise  the  invalid  to  adventure  on.  In  addition  to 
the  desire  to  see  the  Government  works  at  Port  Royal,  I  had  this 
other  inducement,  that  I  anxiously  wished  to  visit  the  spot  where  lie 
the  remains  of  one  of  the  best  and  earliest  friends  of  my  youth — the 
remains  of  the  excellent  and  able  Dr.  Archibald  Lang,  M.  D.,  for 
several  years  surgeon  of  the  naval  hospital  at  Port  Royal  j  of  whom 
it  is  truly  said  on  the  beautiful  tablet  erected  to  his  memory  by  the 
naval  and  military  officers  then  on  the  West  Indian  station,  in  Port 
Royal  church,  that — 

*'  He  was  the  good  Samaritan,  tho  sick  man's 
Comforter,  and  tho  poor  man's  IViond." 

By  one  of  those  contingencies  which  strike  tho  mind  from  their 


98 


JAMAICA. 


^t 


infrequency,  I  had,  without  any  pre-arrangement,  visited  Lang's 
grave  on  the  anniversary  of  his  death.  That  day  twenty  years  he 
had  been  called  by  his  Maker  to  give  an  account  of  his  stewardship, 
having  died  in  consequence  of  a  wound  received  in  the  discharge  of 
his  duty  as  hospital  surgeon ;  and  now,  twenty  years  afterwards,  I, 
who  had  in  early  life  enjoyed  much  of  his  favour  and  well-remem- 
bered kindness,  stood  by  his  gravestone  for  the  first  time.  Good, 
worthy,  excellent  Dr.  Lang  !  it  required  not  the  anecdotes  still  told 
in  this  far-off  place  of  your  labours  and  repose ;  nor  the  flattering 
tribute  to  your  worth  and  memory  in  the  Naval  Reminiscences  of 
Captain  Scott )  nor  even  the  handsome  testimonial  which  your  brother 
ofl&cers,  of  both  services,  have  inscribed  on  your  tombstone  within 
the  hospital  gates,  and  again  on  the  marble  tablet  on  the  walls  of  the 
church ;  to  inform  me  of  the  fact  that  you  were  indeed  one  of  the 
Pilgrims  of  Mercy,  or  that — 

"  Of  first-rate  talent  in  the  healing  art, 
Unwearied  zeal,  benevolence  of  heart; 
For  rich,  for  poor,  alike  for  high  and  low, 
Your  philanthropic  heart  felt  pity's  glow. 

But  it  was  delightful  to  know  that  your  character  was  so  justly 
estimated  by  those  who  had  the  means  of  knowing,  and  the  capacity 
for  appreciating,  your  many  and  varied  excellences  of  head  and 
heart. 

The  church  at  Port  Royal,  in  which  is  placed  the  beautiful  tablet 
to  the  memory  of  my  friend  and  relative,  which  I  have  above  referred 
to,  is  worthy  of  a  visit,  were  it  only  to  observe  the  many  tablets  on 
its  walls,  inscribed  with  evidences  of  the  destructiveness  of  yellow 
fever,  which  so  often  visits  this  part  of  the  island.  Port  Royal,  as 
some  of  my  readers  may  be  aware,  stands  on  the  extremity  of  a  long, 
low,  projecting,  sandy  point  of  land,  which  runs  out  from  the  side  of 
the  bay  opposite  Kingston,  and  which,  by  running  across,  (so  as  only 
to  leave  a  neck  as  an  entrance,)  forms  the  bay  or  harbour  of  King- 
ston. Outside,  the  entrance  to  the  harbour  is  obstructed,  and  in 
part  protected,  by  a  number  of  low  sandy  islets,  which  make  the 
navigation  somewhat  difficult  for  sailing  vessels,  or  during  the  dark- 
ness of  night.  And  it  is  to  this  part  of  the  island — Port  Royal  and 
its  neighbourhood — that  the  reader  may  safely  ascribe  all  that  he 
may  have  read  or  heard  of  the  unhealthiness  of  the  climate  of 
Jamaica.  To  talk  of  the  island  generally  as  unhealthy,  is  nothing 
short  of  a  villainous  scandal.  It  is  quite  the  reverse.  And  I  question 
if  there  are,  in  the  whole  limits  of  this  fair  world,  more  healthy  loca- 
tions than  are  to  be  found  among  the  lovely  velvety  vales,  or  amidst 
the  mountain  ranges  and  i  ugged  crags  of  Jamaica's  fair  isle.  And 
were  there  only  this  one  island  in  the  whole  surrounding  sea,  the 


sited  Lang's 
Dty  years  he 

stewardship, 
I  discharge  of 
ifterwards,  I, 

well-remem- 
iiroe.  Good, 
otes  still  told 
the  flattering 
niniscences  of 

your  brother 
bstone  within 
le  walls  of  the 
ed  one  of  the 


(ras  so  justly 

1  the  capacity 

of  head  and 

}autiful  tablet 
above  referred 
my  tablets  on 
ess  of  yellow 
ort  Royal,  as 
lity  of  a  long, 
>m  the  side  of 
3S,  (so  as  only 
>our  of  King- 
'ucted,  and  in 
ch  make  the 
ing  the  dark- 
)rt  Royal  and 
)  all  that  he 
Le  climate  of 
ly,  is  nothing 
ad  I  question 
healthy  loca- 
les, or  amidst 
ir  isle.     And 
ding  sea;  the 


CUBA. 


poet  would  have  been  only  just  when  ho  described  the  West  Indies 
as  being  a  place  where 

"  The  breath  of  ocean  wanders  through  their  vales, 
In  morning  breezes  and  in  evening  gales. 
Earth  from  her  lap  perennial  verdure  pours, 
Ambrosial  fruits  and  amaranthine  flowers. 
Over  wild  mountains  and  luxuriant  plains, 
Nature  in  all  the  pomp  of  beauty  reigns." 

But  the  island  is  not  all  equally  healthy ;  and  that  Port  Royal 
must  be  understood  as  excepted  from  the  general  character  of  salu- 
brity which  the  island  deserves,  most  persons  will  be  satisfied,  in 
visiting  the  interior  of  the  parish  church  in  that  place,  and  having 
his  attention  directed  to  the  many  tablets  on  its  walls,  commemo- 
rative of  the  ravages  of  yellow  fever,  and  remembering  it  is  the  few 
who  are  thus  chronicled,  while  the  many  lie  in  unmarked  and  unro- 
membered  graves.  I  was  particularly  struck  by  one  neat  simple 
tablet,  erected  (as  it  bears)  "  by  their  sorrowing  commander,"  to  tho 
memory  of  three  youths,  of  the  respective  ages  of  thirteen,  fifteen, 
and  sixteen  years — all  of  them  midshipmen  belonging  to  tho  same 
ship,  and  all  of  whom  had  fallen  victims  to  yellow  fever  at  Port 
Royal  at  about  the  same  time.  Poor  boys !  they  had  chosen  a  gal- 
lant but  a  dangerous  profession ;  and  had  they  fallen  in  the  strife  of 
contending  ships,  or  midst  the  storms  of  elemental  war,  there  would 
have  been  something  so  natural  in  their  mode  of  erit  from  .d 
scene,  that  the  mind  might  not  have  been  so  impresKvid  with  the 
hearing  of  it.     But 

"  They  fell  not  in  the  battle's  tug,  or  while  their  hopes  wore  high ; 
They  sunk  beneath  the  withering  power  of  a  scorching  tropic  sky."    ^ 


CHAPTER  VII. 

«'  The  Negro,  spoiled  of  all  that  nature  gave 
To  free-bora  man,  thus  sunk  into  a  slave ; 
His  passive  limbs,  to  measured  tasks  confined, 
Obey  the  impulse  of  another  mind — 
A  silent,  secret,  terrible  control, 
That  rules  his  sinews  and  restrains  his  soul. 
Where'er  their  grasping  arms  the  spoilers  spread, 
The  Negro's  joys,  the  Negro's  virtues  fled." 

"  Still,  slavery !  thou  art  a  bitter  draught, 
Though  thousands  have  been  made  to  drink  of  thee." 

STHunt. 

A  SAIL  in  the  steamer,  of  somewhat  less  than  four  days,  takes 
the  traveller  from  Jamaica  to  the  town  of  Havanna,  in  the  island  of 
Cuba,  situated  between  north  latitude  19°  and  23°,  and  west  longi- 
tude 74°  and  85°.    Cuba  is  the  largest  of  the  West  Indian  Islands, 


100 


CUBA. 


ml 


being  not  less  than  seven  hundred  miles  in  length,  by  about  eighty 
miles  of  average  breadth,  covering  an  area  of  about  thirty-six  thou- 
sand square  miles,  and  at  present  containing  a  population  of  nearly 
a  million  and  a  half.  It  was  discovered  by  Columbus  on  28th  Oc- 
tober 1492,  and  enjoys  the  unfortunate  distinction  of  having  been 
the  scene  of  the  greatest  of  the  cruelties  perpetrated  by  his  follow- 
ers on  the  unresisting  natives.  Columbus  named  it  Ferdinando,  or, 
as  some  say,  "  Juana,"  but  it  speedily  regained  its  ancient  Indian 
name  of  "  Cuba."  It  is  now,  and  has  all  along  (with  the  exception 
of  the  occupation  of  it  by  Great  Britain  for  about  a  year)  been  in 
the  possession  of  Spain,  and  it  is  now  the  chief  of  her  slave  colonies. 
For  this,  and  for  other  substantial  reasons,  to  be  immediately  no- 
ticed, Cuba  is  at  present  a  place  to  which  much  interest  attaches, 
and  towards  which  a  good  deal  of  public  attention  is  drawn. 
'  The  sail  from  Kingston,  Jamaica,  to  the  town  of  Havanna,  in  the 
island  of  Cuba,  is  along  the  south  side  of  the  first-named  island — 
thence  by  the  Grand  Cayman,  (a  low  sandy  islet  of  considers  .e 
extent,  famous  for  the  turtle  that  frequent  it,  and  dangerous  to 
mariners,)  on  the  east  end  of  which  we  could  see  a  vessel  stranded, 
and  on  her  beam  ends,  the  sea  breaking  over  her  at  every  return  of 
the  waves. 

On  passing  the  Cayman,  the  sail  lay  along  the  coast  of  Cuba, 
round  Point  Antonio,  and  past  the  ledge  of  rocks  called  the  CoUo- 
radoes,  on  which  the  very  steamship  in  which  I  sailed — the  Tay— 
had  gone  ashore  and  been  very  nearly  lost  only  a  very  few  years 
before.  Enlivened  as  the  scene  on  board  the  steamer  was  by  a  very 
varied  and  miscellaneous  freight  of  passengers,  many  of  them  destined 
for  California,  and  with  so  many  objects  in  sight,  from  time  to  time, 
to  interest  and  amuse  and  call  telescopes  into  requisition,  the  pro- 
gress of  time  was  scarcely  remarked ;  and  it  was  with  agreeable  sur- 
prise that,  about  six  o'clock  of  a  very  fine  morning,  on  reaching  the 
deck  of  the  steamship,  I  found  her  entering  the  noble  harbour  of 
Havanna.  Never  will  I  forget  the  inspiriting  nature  of  the  beautiful 
scene.  In  point  of  formation,  the  harbour  of  Havanna  has  been 
justly  described  as  being  in  shape  like  a  trefoil,  or  shamrock— of 
which  the  entrance  represents  the  stalk.  This  entrance  is  guarded 
by  two  seemingly  very  strong  forts,  named  respectively  the  Punta 
and  the  Moro,  standing  on  the  right  and  left.  Besides  these  two 
fortresses  for  protection,  the  harbour  of  Havanna  is  guarded  by  three 
other  protective  citadels,  named  respectively  Cabanas,  Principe,  and 
Atares.  At  the  time  of  my  visit  the  harbour  was  crowded  with 
shipping ;  and  so  numerous  and  so  various  were  the  flags  that  were 
flying,  that  one  might  have  supposed  there  were  here  marine  repre- 
sentatives from  all  the  nations  of  the  world.  I  believe  a  similar  scene 
presents  itself  here  nearly  at  all  times;  and  some  idea  of  the  num- 


HAVANNA. 


101 


'  about  eighty 
lirtj-six  thou- 
ion  of  nearly 
on  28th  Oc- 
■  having  been 
by  hia  foUow- 
erdinando,  or, 
icient  Indian 
the  exception 
year)  been  in 
slave  colonies, 
mediately  no- 
rest  attaches, 
•awn. 

ivanna,  in  the 
med  island — 
f  considers  .e 
dangerous  to 
!ssel  stranded, 
ery  return  of 

aast  of  Cuba, 

ed  the  Collo- 

— the  Tay— 

ery  few  years 

was  by  a  very 

them  destined 

time  to  time, 

tion,  the  pro- 

igreeable  sur- 

reaching  the 

e  harbour  of 

the  beautiful 

ma  has  been 

ihamrock — of 

30  is  guarded 

y  the  Punta 

es  these  two 

rded  by  three 

Principe,  and 

srowded  with 

gs  that  were 

narine  repre- 

similar  scene 

of  the  num- 


ber of  ships  frequenting  the  port  of  Havanna,  (which  is  of  course  by 
far  the  largest  sea-port  in  Cuba)  may  be  gathered  from  the  fact  that 
the  American  tonnage  alone,  now  employed  in  the  trade  with  Cuba, 
is  476,773  tons.  This  is  exclusive  of  the  very  large  amount  of 
British  tonnage  similarly  engaged,  and  exclusive  also  of  the  tonnage 
of  all  the  vessels  from  every  other  part  of  the  globe.  Indeed  the 
study  of  the  flags  from  the  deck  of  the  steamer  was  often  a  very 
amusing  one.  The  British  ensign,  and  the  star  and  stripes  of  the 
United  States  of  America,  floated  conspicuous  and  from  many  a 
mast-head.  There  were  also  many  other  well-known  insignia  of  the 
"  battle  and  the  breeze ;"  but  there  were  also  many  which  it  passed 
my  naval  reminiscences  to  discover  the  country  of,  without  inquiry 
or  assistance — and  sometimes  despite  of  both. 

Landing  at  Havanna — or  to  give  it  the  more  sonorous  name  with 
which  Spain  has  dignified  it — landing  on  the  quay  of  "  La  Siempre 
Fidelissima  Ciudad  de  San  Cristobal  de  la  Habanna" — the  first  things 
to  strike  the  stranger — at  least  if  his  landing  be  in  the  morning, 
previous  to  ten  o'clock — will  be  the  extreme  noise,  bustle,  and  acti- 
vity of  the  scene  into  which  he  is  suddenly  plunged.  Noises  of 
every  description  assa*^  his  ears,  sights  of  various  kinds  accost  his 
eyes,  and  (last  not  least)  odours  of  multifarious  characters  salute  his 
olfactories ;  and  for  these  it  is  best  he  should  be  prepared.  There- 
after, and  after  having  called  on  such  officials  or  other  residents  as  he 
may  have  letters  to,  or  has  resolved  to  pay  his  respects  to,  (among 
the  latter  of  whom  will  generally  be  the  gentleman  who  now  holds, 
so  honourably  and  so  usefully,  the  important  office  of  Consul-general 
for  Great  Britain  in  the  island  of  Cuba,  and  to  whose  personal  kind- 
ness I  rejoice  to  have  this  opportunity  of  paying  a  passing  tribute;) 
the  first  act  of  the  stranger  should  be  to  hire  a  volante  or  quitrin,  and 
take  a  drive  in  and  about  the  town  of  Havanna,  getting,  if  possible,  a 
friend  acquainted  with  the  locality  to  accompany  him  in  his  ride.  These 
vehicles  are  numerous,  and  are  to  be  obtained  at  and  after  the  rate 
of  something  less  than  a  dollar  (from  three  to  four  "  pesetas")  an  hour. 
The  distinction  between  the  volante  and  the  quitrin  consists  simply 
in  this,  that  while  the  hood  of  the  former  is  immovable,  the  hood  of 
the  latter  shifts  up  and  down,  so  that  it  can  be  thrown  back  when 
the  heat  of  the  sun  is  not  too  intense.  They  constitute  almost  the 
only  kind  of  carriage  used  in  Cuba,  and  their  use  is  nearly  universal. 
So  universal,  that  I  question  whether  there  is  any  one  article  a 
young  Spaniard  or  Creole  of  Cuba  would  sooner  name  as  one  of  the 
indispensables  of  gay  life  in  Havanna.  It  is  not  easy  to  give  in  writ- 
ing a  description  of  this  unique  but  singularly  graceful  and  pictu- 
resque vehicle,  which  will  convey  a  graphic  idea  of  its  appearance 
to  a  reader ;  and  the  aid  of  a  draughtsman  has  accordingly  been 
called  in  to  assist  the  following  attempt.     It  is  hoped  that  the  two 


102 


HAVANNA— THE  VOLANTE,  ETC. 


combined  will  give  the  reader  a  grapbic  idea  of  the  most  appropriate 
and  useful  national  yebicles  to  be  found  in  any  country  in  the  world. 

The  volante  or  quitrin  of  Havanna  has  the  head  of  a  phaeton,  and 
is  placed  upon  two  wheels  of  at  least  six  feet  in  diameter.  These 
wheels  again  are  situated  far  back^  at  the  very  extremity  of  the  shafts, 
the  body  of  the  carriage  being  suspended  by  leathern  straps  or  springs, 
and  placed  so  low,  that  the  head  of  the  traveller  is  never  above,  and 
is  generally  below,  tho  level  of  the  upper  section  of  the  wheels. 
The  shafts  of  the  volante  are  very  long,  and  the  horse  or  mule  (the 
latter  species  of  animal  being  in  most  general  use)  is  attached  to  the 
vehicle  by  traces ;  the  back  band  being  fixed  to  rings  placed  at  tho 
outer  extremity  of  the  shaft ;  so  that  there  is  no  portion  of  the  shaft 
before  the  horse's  shoulder — or,  indeed,  nearer  thereto  than  the  back 
part  of  the  saddle,  on  which  the  driver  rides  en  postillion.  The 
shafts  being  very  long,  there  is  thus  necessarily  a  long  space  between 
the  croupe  of  the  horse  and  the  splash-board  of  the  carriage.  The 
object  gained  by  this,  as  well  as  that  secured  by  the  universal  prac- 
tice of  plaiting  and  tying  up  the  tail  of  the  horse  or  mule,  is  protec- 
tion from  mud  in  event  of  the  roads  being  dirty. 

The  volante,  or  quitrin,  is  generally  drawn  by  one  horse  or  mule  j 
and,  from  the  narrowness  of  the  streets  intra  muros,  it  would  be  in- 
convenient to  have  more  than  one  in  very  general  use.  This  fact 
has  given  rise  to  the  statement  that,  by  police  regulation,  it  is  pro- 
hibited to  drive  more  than  one  horse  abreast  in  a  volante  within  the 
walls  of  Havanna — a  statement,  however,  for  which  there  is  no  other 
foundation.  Without  the  walls,  and  in  the  interior  of  the  island, 
volantes  are  frequently  seen  with  two  and  even  three  horses  or  mules 
abreast ;  the  second  and  third,  if  there  be  so  many,  being  harnessed 
and  attached  to  the  carriage,  outside  the  shafts,  and  much  after  the 
fashion  known  in  Scotland  under  the  term  "  outrigger."  The  con- 
ductor, called  il  calesero,  is  generally,  if  not  always,  a  negro  slave, 
and  he  rides  on  the  horse  or  mule ;  and,  where  more  than  one  is 
used,  the  outrigger,  or  one  of  the  outriggers,  is  the  one  selected  for 
that  purpose.  At  first  sight,  and  looking  to  the  size  and  position  of 
the  wheels,  the  extreme  length  of  the  carriage,  the  distance  of  the 
horse  from  his  draught,  and  the  top-weight  of  heavy  silver-mounted 
harness,  and  of  the  rider,  which  the  animal  carries,  the  impression 
is  that  the  volante,  or  quitrin,  is  a  carriage  which  must  be  very 
heavy  to  draw.  But  the  smallness  of  the  mules  and  horses  in  gene- 
ral use,  the  distances  travelled,  and  the  speed  at  which  they  move, 
lead  to  the  conclusion  that  this  is  a  mistake.  At  all  events,  this 
carriage  is  certainly  a  kind  of  conveyance  remarkably  well  suited  to 
a  country  like  Cuba,  where  the  streets  of  the  towns  are  ill-paved,  ill- 
kept,  and  uneven,  and  the  country  roads  in  general  miserably  bad. 
The  wheels  being  very  wide  apart,  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  over- 


:'i 


HAVANNA— THE  VOLANTE,  ETC. 


103 


)st  appropriate 
f  in  the  world. 
9,  phaeton,  and 
meter.  These 
y  of  the  shafts, 
raps  or  springs, 
ver  above,  and 
(f  the  wheels. 
3  or  mule  (the 
attached  to  the 
}  placed  at  the 
m  of  the  shaft 
than  the  back 
)stillion.  The 
space  between 
sarriage.  The 
miversal  prac- 
lule,  is  protec- 

lorse  or  mule  j 

t  would  be  in- 

:se.     This  fact 

ition,  it  is  pro- 

ite  within  the 

ere  is  no  other 

of  the  island, 

orses  or  mules 

ing  harnessed 

luch  after  the 

"     The  con- 

%  negro  slave, 

Q  than  one  is 

le  selected  for 

id  position  of 

stance  of  the 

Iver-mounted 

le  impression 

oust  be  very 

Drses  in  gene- 

h  they  move, 

1  events,  this 

veil  suited  to 

ill-paved,  ill- 

iserably  bad. 

3ible  to  over- 


t 


i 


turn  a  volante ;  and,  being  very  high,  the  ruts  and  stones  upon  tho 
'■"  do  not  much  incommode  the  traveller. 

A  he  private  quitrin  is  usually  a  very  handsome  affair — glittering 
in  silver  ornaments,  as  does  also  the  harness  and  other  accoutrements 
of  the  horse  and  rider.     3Iy  London  friend  and  fellow-traveller,  Mr. 

D ,  formed  a  desire  to  transport  one  of  them  from  tho  Paseo 

Isabel  in  Cuba,  to  Hyde  Park,  London ;  and;  partly  from  curiosity, 
and  partly  to  know  what  the  experiment  might  cost,  I  inr^uired  at 
various  parties  the  price  of  such  a  vehicle,  and  found  it  to  be  some- 
where between  £90  and  £120,  according  to  the  amount  of  ornament. 
But,  without  the  blacH  calesew,  and  his  rich  but  outre  dress,  the 
volante  would  lose  half  of  its  attractions.  He  seems  as  if  he  were 
"  to  the  manner  born  j"  and  the  inability  of  transporting  him  with 
the  carriage^ 

"  As  slaves  cannot  breathe  in  England,"  ' 

was  in  itself  a  preventive  to  my  enthusiastic  friend  carrying  his 
intention  into  effect.  Indeed,  the  private  calesero  is  a  very  unique 
object.  In  dress  a  cross  between  an  ofl&cer  of  the  Haytian  army 
and  a  French  postilion,  he  is  usually  garbed  in  a  very  handsome 
livery,  richly  embroidered  with  gold  or  silver  lace,  and  a  black  hat 
with  gold  or  silver  band.  The  dress  consisting  of  a  jacket  made  of 
scarlet,  green,  or  purple  cloth  or  velvet,  with  white  knee-breeches, 
and  black  leather  greaves,  boots  or  gaiters,  highly  polished,  orna- 
mented with  silver,  and  coming  nearly  to  a  union  with  the  shoe,  but 
leaving  at  the  front  part  of  the  foot  a  bare  space,  through  which  the 
black  skin  of  the  calesero  displays  itself.  I  did  not  observe  a  single 
instance  in  which  the  driver  had  stockings,  but  the  black  skin  of  the 
African  had  much  the  appearance  of  black  silk  ones. 

Such  is  the  private  quitrin  or  volante ;  and  it  being  considered  a 
mark  of  wealth  to  change  the  vehicle  and  livery  almost  every  year, 
while  the  old  ones  are  sold  for  public  conveyances,  the  volantes  to 
be  had  on  hire  are  just  the  tarnished  dittos  of  those  above  described. 
For  short  distances  the  rate  of  hire  is  from  three  pesetas  (sixty 
cents)  to  a  dollar  per  hour.  For  longer  distances,  or  where  the 
vehicle  is  to  be  kept  for  several  hours,  a  bargain  should  be  made . 

I  could  not  ascertain  that  there  were  any  means  of  finding  out 
the  exact  number  of  sach  carriages  at  present  in  Havanna.  They 
must,  however,  be  very  numerous.  Almost  every  family  of  any 
note  or  means  has  its  indispensable  volante  standing  in  the  arched 
gateway,  which  thus  forms  at  once  the  coach-house  and  the  entrance 
to  the  dwellings,  and  ofttimes  also  the  servants*  hall ;  and  I  find  it 
stated  in  public  returns  that,  at  the  census  in  1827,  the  carriages, 
private  as  well  as  public,  amounted  to  2651.  In  -that  year,  the 
number  of  houses,  taking  those  without  as  well  as  those  within  the 


.A 


in 


104 


VIEWS  OF  HAVANNA. 


I  m^. 


Mi 


walls,  was  11,639,  (of  which  no  less  than  7968  were  extra-mural.) 
Since  that  time  the  number  of  houses  has  increased  very  greatly, 
and  (^particularly/  since  the  passing  of  the  English  Sugar  Duties 
Bill  in  1846)  ihat  of  carriages  has  increased  in  a  still  greater  ratio; 
so  that,  at  preiient,  it  would  be  quits  safe  to  estimate  their  number 
at  considerably  above  three  thousand.  Nor  will  the  estimate  appear 
extravagant  to  any  one  who  has  seen  the  display  of  vehicles  on  the 
Paseo  Isabel  or  Paseo  Tacon,  on  a  festive  occasion. 

Besides  the  forts  or  citadels,  to  which  reference  has  already  been 
made,  and  into  which  it  is  very  difl&cult  for  £i  stranger  to  obtain  ac- 
cess— so  jealous  is  Spain  in  all  things  relating  to  her  power — there 
are  many  objects  of  interest  in  the  town  of  Havanna.  But  the  first 
thing  the  visitor  ought  to  do,  should  be  to  obtain  one  or  two  of  the 
best  general  views  to  be  had  of  the  very  unique  but  villainously  odo- 
riferous city  in  which  he  finds  himself  for  the  first  time.  In  the 
approach  by  sea,  he  has  already  had  one  of  the  finest  views  of  it. 
There  is  another  very  favourite  view  to  be  had  from  a  hill,  named  to 
me  "  Indio,"  which  stands  on  the  road  between  Kegla  and  Guana- 
tugo,  on  the  side  of  the  harbour  opposite  the  town;  and  another 
looking  back  on  the  town  from  the  road  to  Cerro,  which  is  about 
three  miles  from  Havanna.  These  views  are  all  very  fine,  but  they 
are  all  too  distant  for  giving  the  visitor,  on  Ms  immediate  arrival,  a 
bird's-eye  view  of  the  place.  For  this  latter  purpose,  I  advise  a 
visit  to  the  top  of  the  hill  on  which  stands  the  Cabanas  fortress, 
which  overlooks  the  town  and  harbour,  and  from  which  a  very  beau- 
tiful and  very  accessible  general  view  of  Havanna  is  to  be  had.  To 
one  who  has  never  visited  the  tropics,  it  is  difficult  vo  giv(3  a  clear 
enough  idea  of  the  bright  vividness  with  which  each  distinctive 
building  and  characteristic  of  a  tropical  town  stands  out  in  the  clear 
liquid  light,  without  any  haze  or  smoke  to  interrupt  the  view.  After 
obtaining  a  general  view  of  the  whole,  the  next  thing  should  be  to 
visit,  in  detail,  the  various  objects  of  interest  which  the  town  con- 
tains :  such  as — the  church  in  which  mass  was  first  performed  in  the 
island  by  Columbus  and  Lis  followers  in  1492;  the  cathedral;  and 
the  tomb  therein  where  repose  the  ashes  of  the  great  Colon ;  the 
Dominican  church;  the  TMaza  de  Armas,  in  which  is  the  residence 
of  the  Captain-general,  as  the  governor  of  the  island  is  called ;  the 
Tacfyn  theatre  and  the  Paseo  Tacon ;  the  Tacon  prison ;  the  Campo 
Santo,  or  publio  cemetery  of  Havanna;  the  Caza  Beneticencia;  the 
Valla  do  Gallos  or  cock-pits,  &c., — devoting  to  each  of  them  such  a 
measure  of  time  and  attention  as  the  tastes,  professions  and  habits 
of  the  visitor  maj/  dispose  him  to  bestow. 

In  the  cathedral  mass  is  performed  every  morning  about  seven  or 
eight  o'clock,  and  this  is,  therefore  a  favourable,  as  well  as  a  favour- 
ite hour  of  the  day  for  visiting  it.     It  is  an  ancient  building,  with 


TOMB  OF  COLUMBUS. 


105 


extra-mnral.) 
1  very  greatly, 
Sugar  Duties 

greater  ratio; 
their  number 
stiraate  appear 
ehicles  on  the 

3  already  been 
r  to  obtain  ac- 
power — there 

But  the  first 
or  two  of  the 
llainously  odo- 
time.  In  the 
t  views  of  it. 
hill;  named  to 
a  and  Guana- 
;  and  another 
vhich  is  about 
fine,  but  they 
late  arrival,  a 
ie,  I  advise  a 
anas  fortress, 
I  a  very  beau- 
» be  had.  To 
;o  givo  a  clear 
;h  distinctive 
it  in  the  clear 
5  view.   After 

should  be  to 
le  town  con- 
brmed  in  the 
iathedral;  and 
Colon;  the 

the  residence 
s  called ;  the 
the  Campo 

ficencia;  the 

them  such  a 
QS  and  habits 

)out  seven  or 

as  a  favour- 

lilding,  with 


nothing  very  striking  or  remarkable  either  in  its  style  or  construc- 
tion ;  but  it  is  at  the  same  time  a  handsome  and  elegantly  finished 
edifice.  There  are  some  pictures  of  merit  on  its  walls ;  in  particu- 
lar, one  pinall  picture  near  the  principal  altar,  and  which  has  below 
it  an  inscription  on  a  brp^s  plate,  descriptive  of  its  claims  on  acount 
of  its  great  antiquity,  j.s  well  as  of  its  excellence.  On  the  right 
of  the  principal  altar  there  is  the  marble  tablet  on  the  wall  above 
the  spot  where  lies  what  was  mortal  of  him 

"  Who  scant-'d  Columbia  through  the  wave," 

This  tablet  is  about  six  or  ^ight  feet  square,  and  contains  a  highly 
relieved  bust  of  the  great  Colon,  bearing  the  image  usually  given  as 
his  likeness.  Beneath  the  image  is  an  inscription,  which,  of  course, 
says  nothing  of  the  chains  and  imprisonments  with  which  the  grati- 
tude of  Spain  rewarded  this  man — the  greatest  of  her  benefactors, 
and  the  discoverer  of  a  new  world.  The  inscription  is  in  these 
words — 

"  O  restos  c  imagen  del  grande  rdon ! 
Mi  siglos  durad  guard  idos  en  la  uma 
Y  eu  remombranza  de  nuestra  uacion." 

Translation. 

"  0  remains  an  imago  of  the  great  Columbus ! 
For  a  thousand  ages  continue  preserved  in  this  urn 
And  in  the  remembrance  of  our  nation." 

Columbus  died  in  Spain,  and  his  body  rested  for  some  time  there; 

first  in  a  convent  at  Yalladolid,  and  afterwards  in  a  magnificent 

monument  in  the  Carthusian  monastery  at  Seville,  erected  to  the 

memory  of  Columbus  by  King  Ferdinand,  and  on  which  is  recorded 

the  fact  that— - 

"  To  Castillo  and  to  Leon 
A  new  world  Columbus  gave." 

In  the  year  1636  the  justly  venerated  remains  were,  with  great  pomp 
and  circumstance,  removed  from  Seville,  and  transported  to  His- 
paniola  or  St.  Domingo,  then  the  chief  possession  of  Spain  in  tho 
West  Indian  Archipelago ;  but  on  the  island  of  St.  Domingo,  or 
Hispaniola,  being  ceded  to  the  French,  the  honoured  remains  were 
again,  with  pomp  and  array  greater  even  than  before,  removed  to  the 
place  where  they  now  lir ,  in  the  cathedral  of  the  city  of  Havanna. 
This  last  transition  was  completed  on  the  15th  of  January,  1796 ; 
and  since  then,  the  bones  of  the  greatest  of  discoverers  have  remained 
undisturbed.  Whether  the  last  is  to  be  their  final  migration,  remains 
yet  to  be  seen.  Whether  Spain  is  to  retain  Cuba,  and  Whether,  in 
the  event  of  her  being  induced  or  compelled  to  cede  her  possessioi 
of  the  island,  these  venerated  relics  of  the  discoverer  of  the  New 
World  will  be  allowed  to  rest  iu  the  cathedral  of  Ilavanua;  ore 


ii 


i 


106 


CUBA— SLAVE   TRADE. 


questions  which  remain  yet  to  be  determined,  but  which  will,  in  all 
probability,  not  remain  much  longer  unresolved.  I  shall  not  here 
attempt  to  discuss  the  question  of  whether  any  justifiable  effort  could 
be  made  by  the  United  States  of  America  to  possess  herself  of  Cuba, 
by  purchase  or  otherwise  j  or  whether  the  American  government 
would  be  acting  wisely  were  it  to  make  such  an  attempt ;  or  whether 
the  debt,  owing  by  Spain  to  Great  Britain,  would  entitle  the  latter 
to  forbid  and  prevent  any  such  contract :  but  1  am  inclined  to  be- 
lieve, that  Cuba  would  be  a  much  better  customer  of  England  in  the 
hands  of  our  enterprising  brethren  of  the  New  World,  than  she  is 
at  present  in  the  hands  of  Spain ;  and  I  will  without  hesitation  affirm, 
that  the  loss  of  Cuba  would  only  be  a  just  retribution — an  act  of 
retributive  justice — suffered  by  Spain,  not  only  for  her  cruelties  to 
the  aborigines,  but  also  for  the  dishonourable  manner  in  which  she 
has  made  use  of  her  possession  of  this  island  to  evade  the  perform- 
ance of  her  obligations  contracted  to  and  with  England  in  the  matter 
of  the  slave-trade.  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  fact,  that  during 
the  last  year  the  importation  of  slaves  into  the  island  of  Cuba  has 
been  carried  on  in  full  vigour — so  vigorously  and  extensively,  that 
the  price  of  slaves  had  fallen,  in  consequence  of  the  plentiful  supply, 
from  four  hundred  and  fifty  or  five  hundred,  to  from  two  hundred 
and  fifty  to  three  hundred  dollars.  This  fact  is  notorious,  and  I  heard 
it  authenticated  by  official  authority.  It  is  equally  notorious  in  the 
island  itself,  that  the  agent  of  the  Queen  Mother  of  Spain  was  and 
is  extensively  engaged  in  the  infamous  traffic ;  and  it  is  more  than 
suspected  that,  directly  or  indirectly,  his  royal  mistress  is  a  large 
participator  in  the  heavy  gains  her  agent  realizes  from  this  trade  in 
human  flesh.  Indeed,  the  traffic  is  little  short  of  being  a  legalized 
one  :  the  amount  of  dollars  payable  to  the  governor  or  to  the 
Government  (for  there  is  much  difference  between  these  two)  being, 
if  not  fixed  by  law  or  order,  at  least  as  well  understood  as  if  it 
were  so.  All  this  is,  of  course,  in  direct  and  manifest  violation  of 
the  engagements  and  treaties  made  by  Spain  with  England ;  and  it 
is  an  ascertained  fact  that  fully  one-half  of  the  slaves  in  Cuba  are 
there  held  in  abject  bondage  in  violation  of  these  solemn  treaties 
and  engagements.  Indeed,  were  it  otherwise,  it  were  nearly  impos- 
sible that  the  Spanish  colonists  of  Cuba  could  find  slaves  to  cultivate 
their  fields.  Every  one  who  knows  Cuba,  and  the  brutal  manner  in 
which  the  great  mass  of  the  agricultural  slaves  are  treated  there, 
will  laugh  at  the  idea  of  the  slave  population  of  Cuba  being  self- 
Biipporting.  Thanks  to  the  lesson  our  Sugar  Duties  Bill  of  1846 
has  taught  them,  the  Cubans  know  well  not  only  that  slave  labour 
is  cheaper  than  free  labour — so  much  cheaper  that  they  can  actually 
make,  for  seven  or  eight  shillings  per  hundredweight,  the  sugar  that 
costs  the  British^  Danish^  or  French  colonistS;  at  the  very  least,  ten 


iinpor 

intere 

I    adopti 

count] 


CUBA— SLAVE   TRADE. 


107 


icb  will,  in  all 
shall  not  here 
ble  effort  could 
erself  of  Cuba, 
Ln  government 
)t ;  or  whether 
ititle  the  latter 
nclinod  to  be- 
England  in  the 
d,  than  she  is 
isitation  affirm, 
on — an  act  of 
ber  cruelties  to 
'  in  which  she 
le  the  perform- 
i  in  the  matter 
st,  that  during 
[  of  Cuba  has 
tensively,  that 
entiful  supply, 
I  two  hundred 
IS,  and  I  heard 
)torious  in  the 
Spain  was  and 
is  more  than 
ess  is  a  large 
this  trade  in 
Qg  a  legalized 
nor  or  to  the 
30  two)  being, 
stood  as  if  it 
!t  violation  of 
gland ;  and  it 
in  Cuba  are 
)lemn  treaties 
nearly  impos- 
es to  cultivate 
tal  manner  in 
treated  there, 
pa  being  self- 
Bill  of  1846 
t  slave  labour 
^  can  actually 
he  sugar  that 
ery  least,  ten 


to  twelve  or  fourteen  shillings  per  hundredweight.  But  their  know- 
ledge of  the  statistics  of  the  trade  does  not  stop  here ;  they  also 
know  that  it  is  much  cheaper  to  import  slaves  than  to  breed  them. 
The  planter  in  Cuba  found  this  to  be  the  case,  even  when  the  vigi- 
lance of  the  British  and  French  cruisers  had  made  si;  ves  so  scarce 
in  Cuba,  that  the  price  of  an  able-bodied  one  was  fully  five  hundred 
dollare.  Of  course,  now  that  such  vigilance  has  been,  for  a  time, 
at  least,  relaxed,  and  the  price  of  slaves  has  fallen  to  from  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  to  three  hundred  dollars,  the  greater  economy  of 
keeping  up  the  breed  by  importation  is  too  plain  to  be  overlooked. 
Hence  it  is  that  the  idea  of  a  self-supporting  system  saems  to  be 
quite  out  of  the  Cuban's  calculations,  and  that  in  the  barracoons  on 
his  estates  there  are  often  to  be  found  numerous  bands  of  males  and 
but  a  very  few  females-  or  oftimes  none  at  all.  It  has  been  said,  and 
it  is  generally  credited  by  intelligent  parties  resident  in  Cuba,  that 
the  average  duration  of  the  life  of  a  Cuban  slave,  after  his  arrival 
in  the  island,  doeo  not  exceed  seven  or  eight  years.  In  short,  that 
he  is  worked  out  in  that  time.  His  bodily  frame  cannot  stand  the 
excessive  toil  for  a  longer  period )  and,  after  that  average  period,  his 
immortal  spirit  escapes  from  the  tortured  tenement  of  clay.  Ye  ex- 
tenuators  of  slavery  and  of  the  slave  trade,  ponder  this  ascertained 
fact.  Is  it  not  enough  to  make  the  flesh  creep,  and  to  unite  all 
civilized  mankind  to  put  an  end  at  least  to  the  traffic  in  slaves  ? 
Civilized  men  may  reasonably  differ  in  opinion  as  to  how  this  is  best 
to  be  accomplished — whether  by  treaties,  commissions  and  blockad- 
ing squadrons,  or  by  legislative  measures  having  for  their  object  the 
diminishing  the  heavy  seductive  profits  now  realizing  from  the  pro- 
duce of  slave  cultivation  and  manufacture,  or  by  a  wise  union  Oi 
both.  But  surely  one  and  cU  must  agree  in  the  position,  that  *>. 
nobler  work  never  was  adventured  on  by  any  nation  than  the  de- 
struction of  the  slave  trade.  For  the  present,  Englai.!  and  France 
have  the  honour  of  standing  almost  alone  in  the  furtherance  of  this 
great  cause.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  neither  of  them  will  abandon 
their  philanthropic  labours,  even  although  they  may  find  it  expedient 
to  change  the  direction  of  iliam — to  alter  the  modus  operandi.  It 
is  the  rather  to  bo  hoped  that  their  example  will  dispose  the 
other  great  powers,  who  have  themselves  already  wiped  off  tho 
stain  of  a  participation  in  the  slave  trade  from  their  national 
escutcheons,  to  follow  the  example,  and  join  in  the  crusade. 

The  United  States  of  America,  though  they  have  not  yet  put  an 
encl  to  slavery  on  their  own  soil,  have,  at  all  events,  prohibited  the 
importation  of  slaves  into  their  ^Tnion,  and  have,  therefore,  every 
interest  to  move  them  to  aid  in  compelling  Spain  and  Brazil  to  tho 
adoption  of  the  same  course.  Denmark  not  only  preceded  other 
countries  in  declaring  the  slave  trade  to  bo  piracy,  but  she  has 


108 


CUBA— SLAVE  TRADE. 


lately  manumitted  the  slaves  in  her  own  colonics.     And  when,  if 
ever,  the  standards  of  England  and  of  France,  the  "stars  and 
stripes"  of  the  United  States  of  America  (do  not  "  the  stripes" 
sound  ominously  ?)  and  the  national  ensigns  of  Denmark  and  of 
Holland,  are  found  zealously  co-operating  in  this  sacred  cause  of 
humanity,  who  can  doubt  but  that  this  trade  in  humanfflesh,  this 
gross  violation  of  all  natural  right  and  law,  would  speedily  be  sup- 
pressed ?    But  even  should  England  and  France  stand  alone,  it  is 
to  be  hoped  that  they  will  not  desert  the  cause.     The  absence  of 
co-operation,  may  render  expedient  a  change  in  the  mode  of  carry- 
ing on  the  operations ;  but  there  can  be  no  cause  either  for  deser- 
tion or  for  despair.  Nature,  and  the  God  of  Nature,  are  manifestly 
fighting  on  the  same  side ;  and  no  one  who  has  read  the  signs  of 
human  progress  for  the  last  century,  but  must  see  that  slavery  and 
the  slave  trade  are  among  the  things  that  are  doomed  to  give  way 
before  the  advancing  light  of  the  sun  of  civilization.     As  to  the 
mode  and  time  for  putting  an  eno.  to  slavery,  where  it  is  interwoven 
with  the  institutions  of  the  country,  as  is  the  case  in  the  southern 
states  of  America,  there  may  be  some,  there  is  much,  diflGiculty  j 
and  I  confess  I  am  of  those  who  think  that  some  of  the  emancipa- 
tionistd  of  the  United  States,  and  of  their  brethren  in  England, 
have  acted  and  are  acting  injudiciously,  in  the  conduct  by  which 
they  have  attempted  and  are  attempting  to  precipitate  events  in 
that  country.     But  slavery  in  those  countries  into  which  the  im- 
portation of  slaves  is  not  permitted,  or  secretly  connived  at,  is  but 
a  modified  slavery,  compared  with  that  which  exists  in  countries 
into  which  there  is  such  importation.     Assuredly,  then,  the  first 
step  is  to  put  an  end  to  the  traffic — to  dry  up  the  source  of  the 
supplies  from  without — ere  we  can  expect  either  much  to  amelio- 
rate the  condition  of,  or  to  strike  the  shackles  from  those  who  are 
within.    Nor  is  it  only  by  treaties  that  Spain  and  Brazil  are  bound 
to  cease  their  illegal  traffic  in  human  flesh.  England  has  paid  them 
large  sums  of  money  as  the  condition  of  their  doing  so ;  and  these 
sums  they  have  received  and  accepted,  under  the  annexed  and 
expressed  condition.     It  has  been  unjustly  said  by  some  writers  on 
the  other  side  of  the  Atlantic — writers  evidently  in  the  pay  of 
those  who  think  it  for  their  interest  to  prevent  their  country  from 
sharing  in  the  glory  Great  Britain  has  acquired  and  will  acquire, 
by  her  efforts  for  suppressing  and  putting  an  end  to  the  horrors  of 
the  slave  trade — that  Great  Britain  has  no  right  to  interfere  with 
Spain  and  Ikazil,  as  regards  this  trade  in  their  own  colonies ;  that 
slavery  is  a  domestic  institution,  with  which  foreign  nations  have 
nothing  whatever  i.»  do;  and  that,  in  debarring  Spain  and  Brazil 
from  the  conduct  of  this  traffic,  the  13ritish  lion  is  doing  little  more 
than  acting  the  bully.    Such  writers  forget  the  contract  part  of  the 


1 


\ 


pro 
cole 


not 


CUBA— SLAVE  TRADE. 


109 


And  when,  if 

be  "stars  and 

"  the  stripes" 

inmark  and  of 

icred  cause  of 

tnanlflesh,  this 

peedily  be  sup- 

ind  alone,  it  is 

'he  absence  of 

mode  of  carry- 

ther  for  deser- 

are  manifestly 

d  the  signs  of 

lat  slavery  and 

id  to  give  way 

n.     As  to  the 

t  is  interwoven 

n  the  southern 

iich,  diflBiculty; 

the  emancipa- 

Q  in  England, 

duct  by  which 

itate  events  in 

which  the  im- 

lived  at,  is  but 

iS  in  countries 

then,  the  first 

source  of  the 

ich  to  amelio- 

those  who  are 

azil  are  bound 

has  paid  them 

so ;  and  these 

annexed  and 

ome  writers  on 

in  the  pay  of 

country  from 

will  acquire, 

the  horrors  of 

interfere  with 

colonies;  that 

nations  have 

in  and  Brazil 

ing  little  more 

let  part  of  the 


matter.  "Were  England  seeking,  by  threat  or  force  of  arms,  to 
promote  the  emancipation  of  slaves  within  any  country  or  any 
colony,  large  or  small,  there  might  be  some  foundation  for  the 
argument.  As  it  is,  there  is  none.  She  is  only  demanding  and 
requiring  that  Spain  and  Brazil  should  do  what  they  have  promised 
and  engaged  to  do,  what  they  have  been  paid  for  doing,  but  what 
they  have  hitherto  failed  to  perform.  Happy  is  it  for  England  that, 
in  enforcing  these  claims,  she  is  fighting  in  the  sacred  cause  of 
humanity ;  and  happy  will  it  be  for  the  other  powerful  nations 
already  referred  to,  if  their  rulers  see  it  their  duty,  or  their  interest, 
to  give  their  zealous  co-operation  in  the  same  great  and  noble 
cause. 

Another  argument  'against  enforcing  our  slave  treaties,  which  is 
not  unfrequently  used,  particularly  at  home,  is,  that  the  effectual 
suppression  of  the  slave  trade  is  simply  an  impossibility.  In  other 
words  that  the  profit  acquired  by  the  importation  of  a  slave  is  just 
in  proportion  to  the  difficulty  of  importing  him;  and  that  human 
cupidity  is  such,  that  any  amount  of  risk  will  be  run,  where  there  is 
the  prospect  of  a  proportionate  gain.  The  corollary  from  this,  of 
course,  is,  that  the  effect  of  sending  out  cruisers  to  put  down  the 
trade,  is  but  to  increase  to  the  slaves  the  awful  horrors  of  what  is 
called  the  middle  passage,  by  causing  the  slavors  to  be  built  small 
and  low,  and  solely  with  a  view  to  their  sailing  powers  and  capaci- 
ties, and  without  any  regard  to  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  unfor- 
tunate slaves  themselves. 

This  argument  is  not  unfrequently  heard  even  in  England.  But 
(apart  from  the  fact  that  it  only  touches  one  mode  of  suppressing 
the  slave  trade),  its  importance  diminishes  on  investigation,  and  that 
for  this  simple  reason,  that  there  is  a  limit  beyond  which  the  price  of  a 
slave  cannot  go  even  in  Cuba  or  Brazil.  The  slave-owner  cannot 
aflford  any  price  for  a  slave,  or  more  than  the  prices  he  himself  gets 
for  his  slave-grown  produce  enable  him  to  give.  This,  then,  fixes  a 
maximum  of  the  price  to  be  received  for  the  article  to  be  imported. 
The  cost  of  importation,  on  the  other  hand,  just  depends  on  the  ex- 
tent of  difficulty  in  the  way.  And  in  point  of  fact — and  this  is  the 
practical  answer — when  the  slave  treaties  were  a  few  years  ago  better 
enforced,  when  the  English  and  French  preventive  cruisers  on  the 
coast  of  Africa  were  more  numerous  and  more  vigilant,  and  conse- 
quently more  successful,  the  price  of  slaves  so  rose  in  Cuba,  that  the 
demand  for  them  greatly  abated — seeing  that  at  the  price  of  impor- 
tation the  planters  could  scarce  afford  to  buy.  This  fact  is  indis- 
putable, and  speaks  volumes,  and  furnishes  the  best  argument  in 
favour  of  the  position  with  which  I  conclude  these  remarks — intro- 
duced hero  par  jmrcnthhe — that  justice,  duty,  interest,  and  humanity, 
call  upon  Great  Britain  to  enforce  the  shave  treaties,  and  that  it  were 

10 


110 


HAVANNA— FRANCISCAN  CHURCH. 


just  and  noble,  and  a  wise  policy  in  the  United  States,  as  well  as  in 
the  governments  of  France,  Denmark,  and  Holland,  to  unite  with 
England  in  the  sacred  cause.  Besides,  it  is  not  only,  or  even  chiefly, 
by  means  of  preventive  squadrons  that  the  Spanish  and  Brazillian 
slave  trade  is  to  be  eflFectually  suppressed.  Great  Britain  and  France 
have  other  effective  measures  within  their  reach ;  and  of  these  some 
mention  will  be  made  in  an  after  part  of  this  book. 

But  to  return  to  the  celebrities  of  Havanna.  The  church  in  which 
Columbus  first  had  mass  performed,  when  he  landed  at  Cuba  in  1492, 
is  not  interesting  in  any  way,  save  because  it  enjoys  the  distinction 
referred  to.  In  the  Dominican  church,  the  only  object  that  struck 
me  was  one  common  enough  in  churches  in  Catholic  countries,  being 
an  altar-piece  where  the  scene  of  the  "  Marys  at  the  crucifixion"  is 
represented  by  highly-relieved,  tawdrily-dressed  female  figures,  one 
of  them  having  a  crown  on,  and  both  exhibiting  all  the  appearances 
or  signs  of  the  deepest  agony  and  woe.  At  the  time  of  my  first  visit 
to  this  fashionable  place  of  Roman  Catholic  worship  in  Havanna, 
there  were  a  number  of  devotees  performing  their  devotions  around 
the  shrine  or  altar-piece  in  question,  which,  an  inscription  tells  the 
visitor,  was  erected  by  special  authority  from  a  Pope  Pius.  In  the 
dim  cathedral  light  the  eyes  of  the  waxen  figures  seemed  to  be  liquid 
with  real  tears,  and  their  bosoms  to  swell  and  heave  beneath  the 
yellow  satin,  with  real  heart-rending  sighs ;  while  on  the  cheeks  of 
some  of  the  worshippers  who  knelt  around,  there  were  the  evidences 
of  sincerity  and  of  genuine  sorrow.  I  confess  I  cannot  view  a  scene 
like  this  without  emotion ;  and  while  my  calmer  reason  docs  deeply 
deplore  the  fact  that  such  devotion  should  be  elicited  by  the  exhibi- 
tion of  a  mere  semblance  of  human  woe,  I  cannot  refuse  my  respect, 
where  the  sincerity  of  the  act  is  so  apparent,  much  less  could  I  "curse 
the  shrine"  where  so  many  devout  worshippers  kneel  to  heaven. 

There  is  another  church,  or  at  least  a  building  which  was  once 
a  church,  in  Havanna,  which  I  deem  worthy  of  notice,  as  it  affords 
me  an  opportunity  of  recording  a  characteristic  anecdote. 

On  passing  through  one  of  the  narrow  streets  of  this  town  of 
strange  scenes,  handsome  buildings,  but  unsavoury  smells,  and  in 
the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the  British  Consulate,  I  observed 
an  inscription  over  the  door  of  a  large  building,  which  ran  thus — 

"  La  Commissaria  de  obras  de  Fortificacion." 

Struck  with  the  church-like  appearance  of  the  edifice,  (despite 
its  built-up  windows,)  and  surprised  that  a  consecrated  building 
should,  by  so  pricst-riddan  a  people,  be  made  a  storehouse  for 
warlike  commodities,  I  made  some  inquiry  on  the  subject;  and, 
learning  that  the  building  was  called  the  "  Church  of  the  Fran- 
ciscans;" my  previous  knowledge  of  some  passages  of  Cuban  his- 


Cat 
the 


HAVANNA-FRANCISCAN  CHURCH. 


Ill 


f  as  well  as  in 
to  unite  with 
r  even  chiefly, 
and  Brazillian 
in  and  France 
of  these  some 

lurch  in  which 
Cuha  in  1492, 
he  distinction 
}t  that  struck 
mntries,  being 
crucifixion"  is 
;e  figures,  one 
le  appearances 
f  my  first  visit 
p  in  Havanna, 
motions  around 
ption  tells  the 
Pius.  In  the 
3d  to  be  liquid 
re  beneath  the 
the  cheeks  of 
the  evidences 
t  view  a  scene 
n  does  deeply 
>y  the  exhibi- 
le  my  respect, 
30uld  I  "curse 
0  heaven, 
ch  was  once 
,  as  it  affords 
3te. 

this  town  of 
mells,  and  in 
e,  I  observed 
1  ran  thus — 


ice,  (despite 
ted  building 
orehouse  for 
abject;  and, 
f  the  Fran- 
■  Cuban  his- 


tory enabled  me  to  understand  the  nature  and  cause  of  the  transi- 
tion from  a  Roman  Catholic  church  to  a  military  storehouse. 

The  state  religion  in  Cuba  is,  of  course,  that  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church ;  and,  true  to  its  natural  policy,  that  church  has 
there  succeeded  in  getting  liberty  of  public  worship  denied  to  all 
creeds  save  its  own.     But  after  the  storming  of  the  town  and  for- 
tress of  Havanna,  by  the  British  expedition  under  Lord  Albe- 
marle, in  1762,  his  lordship,  as  governor,  demanded  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  bishop  that  he  should  set  aside  one  of  the  churches  for 
the  Protestants  to  worship  in ;  and  a  somewhat  amusing  corres- 
pondence ensued  between  Lord  Albemarle  and  the  reverend  bishop 
01  the  subject.     The  bishop,  if  he  did  not  explicitly  refuse,  at 
least  diplomatized  and  evaded  the  demand,  till  brought  to  the 
point  by  the  intimation  from  Lord  Albemarle  that,  if  a  church  was 
not  assigned,  "  I  shall  take  that  which  seems  to  be  most  suitable." 
This  produced  a  reply,  that  since  he,  Lord  Albemarle,  "  had  so 
resolved,  he  might  take  whatever  church  he  chose  ;"  and  it  would 
be  only  prejudice  to  deny  that,  in  this  reply,  there  was  much  both 
of  dignity  and  simplicity.     The  British  governor  took  the  bishop 
at  his  word.     He  chose  the  Church  of  the  Franciscans ;  and  during 
the  one  year's  occupation  of  the  island  by  Britain,  and  till  the 
restitution  of  it  to  Spain  in  1763,  public  worship,  according  to  the 
forms  of  the  Protestant  Church  of  England,  was  regularly  per- 
formed in  the  Franciscan  church  of  Havanna.     Then,  of  course, 
it  was  restored  to  Spain  with  the  rest  of  the  island,  in  accordance 
with  that  extra  liberal  and  lavish  policy  which  has  so  often  guided 
British  councils,  leading  at  one  time  to  the  expenditure  of  great 
amounts  of  blood  and  treasure  in  the  acquisition  of  territory,  (wit- 
ness in  these  seas  Martinique,  Guadaloupe,  St.  Thomas',  and  Cuba,) 
and  the  almost  free  surrender,  or  gift  of  them,  back  to  the  powers 
whence  they  were  taken.     Since  that  restitution  of  the  island  to 
Spain,  the  church  of  the  Franciscans  has  ceased  to  be  used  as  a 
church.     Is  its  disuse  to  be  ascribed  to  its  supposed  contamination 
by  the  heretics  ?     One  is  almost  irresistibly  tempted  to  apply  the 
post  hoc  propter  7ioc  style  of  argument  to  such  a  case  j  and  no  one 
who  has  personally  witnessed  the  light-obstructing  spirit  evinced 
by  the  Romish  church,  in  such  a  dark  spot  as  the  isle  of  Cuba, 
where  she  is  alone  and  triumphant  in   her  domination,  and  is 
allowed  the  most  ample  scope  for  her  pasos*  and  other  ceremonials, 
will  think  the  deduction  an  extravagant  or  an  unjust  one.     At  all 
events,  the  fact  is  as  I  have  described  it.     The  church  selected  by 

•  A  paso  is  tlio  name  given  in  Spain  to  the  idol  figures  bonio  along  in  the  reli- 
gious processions.  The  paso,  however,  strictly  speaking,  means  only  the  figure  of 
our  Savioiu',  during  his  Tassion.  Such  processions  and  pasos  aio  numerous  in 
Cuba. 


'   I: 


112 


CUBA— JUDICIAL  SYSTEM,  ETC. 


Lord  Albemarle  as  a  place  for  Protestant  worship,  is  now  used  by 
Spain  as  a  government  storehouse — "  La  commissaria  do  obras  de 
fortificacion." 

It  may  seem  a  contradiction  to  the  character  above  assigned  by 
me  to  the  island  of  Cuba,  as  the  seat  both  of  a  civil  and  a  religious 
despotism,  that  there  should  be  a  considerable  number  of  newspa- 
pers published  in  Ilavanna.  But  such  is  the  fact.  Indeed,  it  is  a 
somewhat  anomalous  circumstance  connected  with  the  history  and 
present  state  even  of  the  mother-country  of  Spain,  that,  notwith- 
standing her  literary  deficiencies  and  state  of  ignorance,  of  which 
so  much  has  been  written,  newspapers  appear  to  flourish  greatly 
both  in  Spain  and  her  colonies.  In  Madrid  there  are  no  fewer 
than  thirteen  daily  papers — being  nearly  as  great  a  number  as  is 
published  even  in  London ;  and  some  of  these,  such  as  the  Hcraldo, 
Clamor  Publico,  &c.,  have  a  very  large  circulation.  But  the  news- 
papers of  Havanna  are  most  of  them  of  small  size,  and  much  filled 
with  advertisements ;  amongst  which  those  ofiering  negroes,  some- 
times female  negroes  with  infant  children,  to  be  sold  "  with  or 
without  the  child,"  will  strike  the  mind  of  an  Englishman  with 
anything  but  an  agreeable  feeling.  These  papers  are  likewise  all 
under  a  very  strict  and  rigorous  censorship — so  strict  that  the 
wonder  is  that  there  should  be  so  many,  and  that  they  are  so  good 
as  they  are. 

The  island  of  Cuba  sends  deputies  to  the  Spanish  Cortes  at  Ma- 
drid— Spain,  like  republican  France,  having  in  this  respect  adopted 
a  course  which  many  think,  and  the  writer  amongst  the  number, 
might  be  very  advantageously  followed  in  regard  to  the  colonies  of 
Great  Britain.  Besides  the  advantage  of  having  colonial  interests 
represented  at  h  le  by  parties  nominated  by  the  colonists  them- 
selves, and  in  wuose  fairness  of  representation  the  colonists  repose 
confidence,  there  could  not  surely  be  a  better  mode  of  making  our 
colonial  brethren  practically  aware  that  they  are,  as  they  are  en- 
titled to  be,  regarded  as  an  integral  part  of  the  empire.  Much 
might  be  written  on  this  subject;  but  it  were  out  of  place  to  con- 
tinue it  here — and  therefore  to  return  to  Cuba. 

The  Governor  or  Captain-general  of  Cuba  may  be  said  to  enjoy 
nearly  despotic  power.  Indeed  I  was  assured  by  a  very  accomplished 
travelling  Spaniard,  whom  I  had  the  pleasure  of  meeting  in  Cuba, 
and  whose  society  I  afterwards  enjoyed  during  my  voyage  thence  to 
America,  that  the  present  Governor  (Roncali,  Count  of  Alcoy)  exer- 
cised his  power  here  in  a  way  more  completely  despotic  than  the 
head  of  the  monarchy  of  Spain  could,  or  at  least  does  do,  in  the 
mother  country.  This  gentleman,  himself  a  member  of  the  legal 
profession,  assured  me  that  he  was  by  numbers  of  his  own  body  in- 
formed that  Koncali  had^  since  his  arrival  in  the  island,  constituted 


CUBA— JUDICIAL  SYSTEM,  ETC. 


113 


I  now  used  by 
ia  do  obras  de 

'^e  assigned  by 
nd  a  religious 
ler  of  newspa- 
Indeed,  it  is  a 
be  history  and 
that,  notwith- 
nce,  of  which 
aurish  greatly 
!  are  no  fewer 
I  number  as  is 
s  the  Hcraldo, 
But  the  news- 
ad  much  filled 
Degrees,  some- 
sold  "  with  or 
glishman  with 
re  likewise  all 
trict  that  the 
ey  are  so  good 

Cortes  at  Ma- 
espect  adopted 
;  the  number, 
the  colonies  of 
onial  interests 
Zionists  them- 
)lonists  repose 
making  our 
they  are  en- 
npire.     Much 
place  to  con- 
said  to  enjoy 
accomplished 
Bting  in  Cuba, 
jrage  thence  to 
f  Alcoy)  exer- 
otic  than  the 
oes  do,  in  the 
:  of  the  legal 
own  body  in- 
d,  constituted 


I 


j 


! 


himself  as  a  supreme  tribunal,  having  jurisdiction  exclusive  of,  or 
co-ordinate  with,  that  of  all  the  other  courts  in  the  island,  and  com- 
petent to  the  adjudication  of  all  kinds  of  cases.  I  had  not  the  op- 
portunity of  witnessing  his  Excellency's  freaks  in  this  so-called  sum- 
mary court  of  justice  ;  but  if  half  what  I  heard  of  it  were  true,  it 
must  be  a  strange  sight,  in  a  civilised  country,  to  see  a  comparatively 
illiterate  soldier  professing  to  decide,  of  his  own  knowledge  and  judg- 
ment, and  after  a  few  minutes,  chiefly  occupied  by  his  own  laying 
down  of  the  law,  questions  involving  intricate  facts,  disputed  rights, 
and  important  principles.  The  defendant  is  summoned  to  the  Go« 
vernor's  presence  by  a  small  writ,  which  contains  no  explanation 
save  that  a  claim  is  made  upon  him  by  a  party  named ;  and  it  is 
said  that — as  indeed  in  some  courts  in  more  civilised,  or  at  least 
freer  countries —  le  plaintiff,  the  person  who  first  applies  for  Count 
Roncali's  aid,  has  always  the  best  chance.  Such  is  an  account  of 
the  "  private  courts  of  the  Captain-general  of  Cuba,"  as  it  was  com- 
municated to  me  on  the  spot.  It  is,  however,  only  fair  to  add,  that 
previous  governors  did  something  of  the  same  kind,  and  also  that 
other  writers  seem  not  to  have  regarded  this  secret  tribunal,  and 
its  summary  mode  of  procedure,  in  the  same  objectionable  light  as 
is  here  done.  A  late  writer  on  Spain,  when  treating  incidentally 
of  her  colonies,  remarks,  with  reference  to  Cuba,  that  "  the  Go- 
vernor gives  audiences  to  the  inhabitants  in  private  disputes — a 
patriarchal  procedure,  by  which  much  litigation  is  avoided"  !  I 

In  the  ordinary  courts  of  the  island,  the  judicial  proceedings  are 
conducted  in  writing,  viva  voce  pleading  being  almost,  if  not  wholly, 
unheard-of.  The  fees  of  the  lawyers  depend  upon  the  length  of 
the  written  pleadings,  and  the  judges  are  also  paid  by  fees. 

The  law  in  use  is,  of  course,  that  of  the  mother  country  of  Spain, 
based,  like  that  of  Scotland,  on  the  Code  Justinian.  The  law  of 
bankruptcy  also  seemed  to  me,  from  what  I  could  learn  of  it,  to  be 
not  very  dissimilar,  in  principle  at  least,  to  that  of  Scotland.  Tho 
affairs  of  a  bankrupt  are  arranged,  generally,  under  a  concurso 
voluntario  y  preventivo,  which  seems  a  kind  of  trust-deed,  by  which 
the  bankrupt  is  deprived  of  all  power  of  alienating,  or  making 
away  with  his  estate  and  effects  to  favoured  creditors,  or  confident 
parties,  to  the  prejudice  of  the  general  body.  Another  mode  of 
winding  up  a  bankrupt  estate  is  by  what  is  called  a  "  cession  de 
biennes,"  which  seemed  in  reality,  as  well  as  in  name,  to  be  some- 
thing like  the  Scotch  deed  of  cessio  bonorum,  whereby  a  debtor 
yields  up  everything  to  a  trustee  for  the  general  behrof  of  his  cre- 
ditors, on  condition  of  getting  a  discharge,  which  discharge  emanates 
from  the  court. 

Such  is  the  nature  of  the  ordinary  tribunals  of  justice  in  the 
island  of  Cuba:  but,   of  course,  Count  Roncali's  "patriarchal" 

10* 


lU 


CUBA— SLAVERY. 


jurisdiction,  as  it  is  exclusive  of  these,  so  it  sets  itself  above  the 
principles  which  restrain  the  regularly  trained  judges. 

It  is  also  said,  and  universally  credited,  that  the  present  Captain- 
general  views  the  slave  trade  with  an  indulgent  eye.  At  all  events, 
it  is  indisputable  that  the  importation  of  slaves  into  the  island, 
•which  fell  off  greatly  under  the  influence  of  England,  and  the  ac- 
tivity  of  the  English  cruisers,  during  the  latter  years  of  the  dynasty 
of  the  late  governor,  (Count  O'Donnel,)  has  of  late  years,  and  since 
the  Count  of  Alcoy  assumed  the  reins  of  government,  received  a 
fresh  impetus,  and  is  now  flourishing  in  fullest  vigour.  How  far 
the  Governor  is  personally  concerned  in  the  production  of  this 
result,  it  were  next  to  Impossible  to  ascertain  exactly ;  but  assured- 
ly his  correspondence  with  the  representative  of  Britain  in  the 
island,  as  to  the  landing  of  slaves,  in  the  course  of  which  the  Bri- 
tish Consul-general  offered  to  give  his  Excellency  ocular  evidence 
of  the  truth  of  his  informant's  story — that  slaves  had  been  lately 
landed  from  a  slaver,  and  were  then  in  course  of  sale — does  not 
indicate  any  desire  either  to  suppress  the  traflGic  or  to  keep  faith 
with  Britain.  Indeed,  it  is  publicly  affirmed  that  a  regularly  fixed 
fee  (some  fifty  dollars  a-head)  is  exacted  by  the  Governor  on  each 
slave  that  is  brought  in,  besides  sundry  other  fees  to  the  captain  of 
the  port  or  harbour-master,  and  other  officials,  who  have  the  power 
of  prevention  more  or  less  in  their  hands.  In  short,  the  system  is 
a  complete  one,  and  completely  inoculated  into  the  principles  of 
Cuban  government.  No  doubt,  a  semblance  of  respect  for  the 
solemn  treaties  made  with  Britain,  and  for  the  entering  into  which 
Spain  has  been  paid,  is  kept  up  in  the  island.  The  barbarian 
victims  of  the  inhuman  slave  trade  are  exposed  to  sale  not  as  slaves, 
but  as  "goods"  or  "merchandise,"  (bultos,)  and  some  such  farce  is 
occasionally  exhibited  a^  this  : — A  few  of  the  imported  slaves — 
such  of  them  as  are  sick,  disabled,  infirm,  or  likely  to  die,  and  of 
course  are  of  little  or  no  value — are  taken  possession  of  by  Govern- 
ment authority,  and  an  attempt  is  made  to  "  throw  dust  in  the 
eyes  of  the  English,"  by  making  a  noise  about  the  matter,  and 
formally  delivering  up  the  miserable  wretches,  thus  "  seized,"  as 
slaves  imported  into  Cuba,  in  violation  of  the  solemn  treaties  made 
by  Spain  with  England — much  being  vaunted,  at  the  time,  of 
Spanish  honour  and  national  good  faith.  If  anything  could  make 
mat1>ers  worse  than  the  real  disregard  of  the  treaties,  it  would  be 
conduct  such  as  this — hypocrisy  added  to  dishonesty,  and  the 
whole  veiled  in  high-sounding  words.  And  yet  such  pretended 
seizures  and  deliveries  are  often  taking  place.  One  had  occurred 
only  a  few  days  before  I  reached  Cuba,  the  number  then  seized 
b3iug  under  twenty;  while  the  known  number  of  slaves  actually 
introduced  into  the  island,  during  that  and  the  previous  month, 


< 


CUBA— SLAVKRY. 


115 


tself  above  the 
es. 

resent  Captain- 
At  all  events, 
nto  the  island, 
od,  and  the  ac- 
i  of  the  dynasty 
rears,  and  since 
ent,  received  a 
;our.     How  far 
iuction  of  this 
)r ;  but  assured. 
Britain  in  the 
which  the  Bri- 
ocular  evidence 
bad  been  lately 
sale — does  not 
•  to  keep  faith 
regularly  fixed 
)vernor  on  each 
0  the  captain  of 
have  the  power 
t,  the  system  is 
[e  principles  of 
•espect  for  the 
ring  into  which 
The  barbarian 
le  not  as  slaves, 
ne  such  farce  is 
)orted  slaves — 
to  die,  and  of 
of  by  Govern- 
ow  dust  in  the 
le  matter,  and 
"  seized,**  as 
n  treaties  made 
the  time,  of 
ng  could  make 
es,  it  would  be 
lesty,    and  the 
uch  pretended 
had  occurred 
er  then  seized 
laves  actually 
evious  month, 


.s 


I 


% 


had  not  been  less  than  four  thousand,  and  while  the  average  rate 
of  present  import  is  not  under  two  thousand  per  month. 

Oould  any  one,  who  has  personally  ascertained  the  truth  of  trans- 
actions and  occurrences  such  as  those  before  recorded,  feel  much 
regret  were  Cuba  to  pass  out  of  the  hands  of  Spain  into  those  of  the 
United  States  Government,  or  of  any  other  civilized  country  which 
would  keep  better  faith.   If  Cuba  is  to  be  ceded  or  bought  at  a  cheap 
rate,  Gr6at  Britain  has  unquestionably  a  much  better  right  to  her 
than  any  other  power;  and  it  were  perhaps  unjust,  and,  therefore,  a 
thing  England  would  not  permit,  were  Spain  to  treat  with  any  other 
country  for  the  sale  of  Cuba,  without  first  making  payment  of,  or 
provision  for,  a  large  part  of  her  debt  to  Great  Britain.     But  the 
possession  of  Cuba  by  England  were  a  matter  more  to  be  hoped  for 
than  to  be  expected.     England  had  Cuba  once,  and  generously  (per- 
haps Quixotically)  gave  it  back  again  to  Spain.     And  to  reacquire 
the  possession,  either  by  purchase  or  otherwise,  would  seem  to  be 
contrary  to  the  general  course  of  that  policy  which  is  now,  and  which 
has  for  a  long  time  been  pursued  by  our  noble  country ;  for  certainly, 
and  particularly  after  the  experience  of  late  events  in  India,  no  one 
can  justly  accuse  England  of  an  undue  thirst  for  territorial  acquisi- 
tion.    But  I  could  not  personally  hear  the  grandiloquence  of  Spanish 
authorities  in  Cuba,  or  their  contemptuous  indifierence  to  the  treaties 
made  with  Great  Britain,  without  almost  wishing  that  some  other 
power  would  step  in,  and  obtain  possession  of  the  ioland.     Were  the 
United  States  of  America  to  do  so — and  there  is  little  doubt  but  the 
late  secret  expedition  showed  that  the  leaning  of  the  popular  mind 
was  such  that  "  the  people,"  at  least,  would  not  be  very  scrupulous 
about  the  modus  acquirendi — it  would  look  something  like  retribu- 
tive justice,  inasmuch  as  it  would  be  the  descendants,  at  least,  of  the 
country  with  which  Spain  has  not  kept  faith,  who  would  then  be  the 
instruments  of  avenging  the  deception.     Without  professing  any 
extravagance  of  afiection  for  America  or  Americans,  or  thinking 
them,  as  a  nation,  either  so  far  advanced  or  so  great  as  they  think 
themselves,  I  confess  I  do  regard  them  as  infinitely  nearer  to  our- 
selves by  blood,  and  tongue,  and  tie  of  every  kind,  than  any  other 
nation  on  the  face  of  the  earth. 

No  doubt,  there  are  serious  objections  to  the  acquisition  of  Cuba 
by  the  United  States  of  America.  In  the  first  place,  there  is  the 
important  want  of  a  causa  belli  to  justify  anything  like  a  forcible 
seizure.  In  not  making  with  Spain  such  treaties  as  England  has 
done,  and  covenanting  with  her  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade, 
and  paying  her  money  as  the  price  of  her  consent,  America  has 
deprived  herself  of  a  justifying  cause  for  warlike  proceedings  against 
Cuba,  which  she  might  now  have  turned  to  very  good  account.  In 
the  second  place,  a  successful  arrangement  for  the  sale  of  Cuba  from 


116 


CUBA— SLAVERY. 


Ml 


i'iJI 


Spain  to  America,  not  only  labours  under  the  little  less  than  certainty 
of  the  powerful  veto  of  England  and  France,  but  presumes  that  the 
cautious  Yankee  would  pay  Spain  a  much  larger  price  for  the  posses- 
sion than  the  island  would  be  worth  to  himself.  Spanish  writers  on 
Cuba  call  it  the  brightest  jewel  in  the  Spanish  crown.  Whether  it 
be  a  jewel  or  not,  (and  it  may  be  so,  were  the  fable  true  which 
makes  each  toad  the  possessor  of  a  jewel,)  Cuba  is  at  least  Spain's 
richest  colonial  possession,  and  a  source  of  a  great  part  of  her  reve- 
nue.  The  value  of  Cuba  to  Spain  is  but  little  known  to  those  who 
deem  the  acquisition  of  it  by  the  United  States,  by  a  transaction  of 
sale  and  purchase,  a  matter  of  probability.  Cuba  contains  a  super- 
ficies of  thirty-seven  thousand  square  miles ;  and  a  better  idea  of  the 
extent  of  it  will  be  formed  by  the  Englishman,  when  he  is  reminded 
of  the  fact,  that  England  (exclusive  of  Scotland)  does  not  contain 
above  58,335  square  miles.  The  present  population  of  Cuba  is  esti- 
mated at  1,400,000— consisting  of  610,000  whites,  190,000  free 
people  of  colour,  and  600,000  slaves.  Each  of  these  slaves  is  worth 
from  three  hundred  to  three  hundred  and  fifty  dollars — making  the 
gross  value  of  the  whole  between  one  hundred  and  eighty  and  two 
hundred  and  ten  millions  of  dollars,  or  (estimating  the  dollar  at  four 
shillings)  between  £36,000,000  and  £42,000,000  sterling.  Again, 
the  value  of  exports  from  Cuba  during  1848  was  within  a  trifle  of 
twenty-eight  million  of  dollars,  or  £5,600,000  sterling ;  its  imports 
during  same  year  being  32,389,119  dollars.  In  the  same  year,  the 
'.umber  of  arrivals  of  ships  at  Cuban  ports  was  3740,  and  of  depart 
ures  3310.  Already  there  are  nearly  two  hundred  miles  of  railroad 
finished  in  the  island,  and  above  fifty  miles  more  in  course  of  being 
n\ade.  Indeed,  the  first  railway  laid  down  in  the  West  Indies  was 
laid  down  in  Cuba.  This  railroad  was  originally  formed  to  connect 
the  capital  Havanna,  with  the  town  of  Guines,  which  is  distant  about 
twenty-five  miles,  through  a  smooth  and  fertile  country.  This  rail- 
way is  now  connected  with  San  Carlos  de  Matanzas,  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal seaports  of  the  island,  and  a  prosperous,  though  as  yet  but 
small  town.  Other  branches  connect  the  same  railway  with  other 
parts  of  the  coast ;  and  thus  the  whole  length  of  railway  already  open 
is  about  one  hundred  and  ninety-five  miles.  The  engineer  of  the 
original  line  from  Havanna  to  Guines  was  a  Mr.  Alfred  Cruger,  of 
America,  but  the  capital  was  English,  being  negotiated  for  in  Lon- 
don by  Mr.  Alexander  Robertson.  The  nominal  capital  was  about 
half  a  million,  but,  being  negotiated  for  at  a  high  percentage,  it  did 
not  produce  more  than  about  £340,000.  There  are  also  several 
steamers  plying  between  the  diflFerent  ports  of  the  island,  and,  in 
particular,  steamers  from  Havanna  to  Matanzas,  (a  sail  of  about  fifty 
miles ;)  and  also  steamers  to  Cardenas  and  St.  Juan  de  Eemedios, 
calling  at  intermediate  places;  'besides  a  ferry  steamer  between 


Iian  certainty 
imcs  that  the 
'or  the  posses- 
ish  writers  on 
Whether  it 
ie  true  which 
least  Spain's 
\,  of  her  reve- 
to  those  who 
transaction  of 
itains  a  super- 
:er  idea  of  the 
e  is  reminded 
s  not  contain 
f  Cuba  is  esti- 
190,000  free 
ilaves  is  worth 
— making  the 
ghty  and  two 
dollar  at  four 
rling.    Again, 
thin  a  trifle  of 
f )  its  imports 
ame  year,  the 
md  of  depart 
es  of  railroad 
urse  of  being 
st  Indies  was 
3d  to  connect 
distant  about 
r.     This  rail- 
e  of  the  prin- 
h  as  yet  but 
ay  with  other 
r  already  open 
gineer  of  the 
ed  Cruger,  of 
for  in  Lon- 
tal  was  about 
mtage,  it  did 
also  several 
land,  and,  in 
of  about  fifty 
le  Remedios, 
mer  between 


\ 


CUBAN  STATISTICS. 


117 


Ilavanna  and  Rcgla,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  harbour  of  Havanna. 
To  this  add  that,  while  the  island  is  very  fertile,  and  yields  largely, 
even  at  present,  and  under  deficient  culture,  there  is  not  above  two- 
fifths  of  it  cultivated  j  and  not  only  is  there  a  very  large  tract  of 
fertile  country  uncultivated,  but  even  many  of  those  parts  which  are 
incapable  of  culture  are  covered  with  forests  of  mahogany,  cedars, 
and  a  great  variety  of  tropical  and  other  woods  of  the  most  valuable 
kind.  Cuba  also  contains  valuable  copper  mines,  which  are  now 
worked,  and  which  are  capable  of  being  worked  to  much  greater 
advantage  and  extent. 

These  details  may  be  useful  to  the  party  who  wishes  to  form  an 
opinion  as  to  the  probability  of  a  compact  between  Jonathan  and 
Don  Hidalgo  of  Spain,  for  the  sale  and  purchase  of  the  island  of 
Cuba,  about  which  so  much  is  said.  It  also  explains,  in  some  mea- 
sure, how  it  happens  that  Cuba  is  able  to  supply  so  liberally  the 
Royal  Exchequer  of  Spain,  as  to  acquire  for  herself  the  more  appro- 
priate than  elegant  title  of  "  The  milch-cow  of  Spain." 

Of  course  it  is  the  fact  that,  by  permitting  the  importation  of 
slaves,  a  sufficient  supply  of  good  cheap  labour  is  obtained,  that 
makes  Cuba  so  valuable  a  possession  to  Spain ;  and  equally  of  course, 
were  America  to  acquire  Cuba,  the  nefarious  source  of  gain  must 
cease.  For  although  the  United  States  of  America  have  not  yet 
followed  the  example  of  Great  Britain,  by  the  emancipation  of  the 
slaves  within  her  territory — and  it  must  in  candour  be  admiitted 
that  there  still  exist  great  difficulties  in  the  way  of  her  doing  so — 
yet  she  has  long  ago  blotted  out  participation  in  the  slave  trade  from 
among  her  national  delinquencies  ;  and  it  is  not  to  be  thought  of, 
that  she  would  go  back  upon  her  onward  course  so  far  as  to  permit 
the  importation  of  slaves  into  any  part  of  her  dominions  or  pos- 
sessions. Indeed,  an  attempt  so  to  do  would  cost  that  which  a  true 
American  most  dreads — would  cost  the  Union  itself.  A  legalising 
of  slave  traffic  by  America,  in  any  way,  would  inevitably  lead  to 
the  dismemberment  of  the  Union.  The  free  States  unqi::ostionably 
would  not  endure  it.  Even  were  she  to  get  Cuba,  America  would 
get  it  under  implied  pledges,  destructive  of  its  value  as  a  place  of 
production. 

But  while,  for  the  above  reasons,  I  neither  think  it  likely  Ame- 
rica will  buy  Cuba,  nor  have  the  same  horror  that  some  express  at 
the  idea  of  her  taking  it,  I  also  differ  from  those  who  think  that 
the  possession  of  Cuba  by  the  United  States  would  strengthen  the 
hands  of  the  supporters  of  the  slave  system  in  America  itself,  and 
procrastinate  or  prevent  the  settlement  of  that  question — the  great 
national  question  of  the  American  continent.  If  it  did,  the  pos' 
session  would  he  to  America  herself  a  curse  instead  of  a  blessing. 
But  my  conviction  is,  that  it  would  just  leave  the  slave  question 


118 


CUBAN  STATISTICS. 


^f" 


where  it  is ;  while,  at  the  same  time,  it  would  eiFectually  put  an  end 
to  the  traffic  iu  slaves — at  least  in  so  far  as  Cuba  was  concerned — 
and  thereby  prevent  and  put  an  end  to  much  of  the  injurious  com- 
petition to  which  the  produce  of  our  own  colonists  (which  is  suppled 
by  means  of  free  labour)  is  exposed,  by  the  nefarious  conduct  of 
the  Spanish  c  jlonist  in  supplying  himself  with  the  cheapest  of  all 
labour,  and  that  by  means  of  the  violation  of  the  treaties  made  by 
his  country  with  Great  Britain.  That  slave  labour — at  least  when 
there  is  a  mart  out  of  which  the  ravages  made  by  excessive  toil 
may  be  supplied — is  much  cheaper  than  free  labour,  is  now  an  as- 
certained fact — ascertained  in  the  best  of  all  ways — by  actual  expe- 
rience of  the  consequences.*  So  long  as  the  Spanish  colonist  finds 
it  cheaper  to  steal  slaves  or  to  buy  them,  knowing  them  to  have 
been  stolen,  (which  is  nearly  the  same  thing,)  he  will  never  breed 
them.  It  is  idle  to  expect  that  he  will.  It  is  quite  notorious  that 
the  slave  population  of  Cuba  is  almost  entirely  supported  by  im- 
portation of  slaves  from  the  coast  of  Africa ;  and  that  the  average 
duration  of  the  life  of  a  slave,  after  he  arrives  in  che  island  of 
bondage,  does  not  exceed  seven  or  eight  years :  while  it  is  equally 
well  known  that  his  cheap  labour  has  been  supplied  to  the  Span- 
ish colonist  (at  the  expense  of  the  British  colonist  whose  produce 
is  depreciated  by  it,)  since  the  year  1820 — and  in  manifest,  open 
outrage  and  defiance  of  the  treaty  made  in  1817  between  the 
governments  of  Great  Britain  and  of  Spain,  whereby  his  Catholic 
Majesty  engaged  that  the  slave  trade  should  be  abolished  through- 
out the  entire  dominions  of  Spain,  on  the  30th  of  May  1820;  and 
that  from  that  period  it  "  should  noi  be  lawful  for  any  of  the  sub- 
jects of  the  crown  of  Spain  to  purchase  slaves,  or  to  carry  on  the 
slave  trade  on  the  coast  of  Africa  vpon  any  pretext  or  in  any  man- 
ner whatever."  The  sixth  article  of  this  treaty  is  as  follows; — 
"  His  Catholic  Majesty  will  adopt,  in  conformity  to  the  spirit  of 
this  treaty,  the  measures  which  are  best  calculated  to  give  full  and 
complete  effect  to  the  laudable  objects  which  the  high  contracting 
parties  have  in  view."  How  this  treaty  has  been  kept  the  historic 
muse  will  tell,  to  the  immortal  honour  of  that  England  which  has 
been  so  long  foremost  in  every  work  of  humanity,  and  to  the  eter- 
nal disgrace  of  Spain :  recording,  as  she  must  do,  the  signal,  and 
at  one  time  nearly  successful  efforts  of  England  to  suppress  the 
traffic,  and  her  expenditure  of  blood  and  treasure  in  her  persever- 
ing endeavours  so  to  do ;  and  the  base  deceptive  conduct  of  Spain 
in  violating  her  solemn  engagement,  by  permitting  above  thirty 
thousand  Africans,  (on  a  general  average,)  ♦crn  from  their  homns, 
to  be  annually  imported  into  Cuba  and  Porto  llico  alone,  and 
there  sold  as  slaves.  It  is  not  easy  for  one  but  lately  come  from 
visiting  such  scenes,  and  from  viewing  their  disastrous  effects  on 


mgs 


w 


CUBA— AMERICAN  AJQUISITION. 


119 


illy  put  an  end 
as  concerned — 
injurious  com- 
hich  is  suppled 
ous  conduct  of 
cheapest  of  all 
reaties  made  by 
—at  least  when 
y  excessive  toil 
r,  is  now  an  as- 
-by  actual  expe- 
ih  colonist  finds 
g  them  to  have 
n\\  never  breed 
)  notorious  that 
ipported  by  im- 
hat  the  average 
n  the  island  of 
lile  it  is  equally 
ed  to  the  Span- 
b  whose  produce 
manifest,  open 
7  between   the 
sby  his  Catholic 
dished  through- 
May  1820 ;  and 
any  of  the  sub- 
to  carry  on  (lie 
or  in  any  man- 
as  follo^Ns; — 
to  the  spirit  of 
to  giycfuU  and 
gh  contracting 
ept  the  historic 
and  which  has 
ind  to  the  eter- 
the  signal,  and 
,0  suppress  the 
n  her  persevcr- 
nduct  of  Spain 
g  above  thirty 
m  their  homes, 
lico  alone,  and 
tely  come  from 
■ous  effects  on 


the  condition  of  the  hon«.st,  upright^  and  intelligent  British  planter 
in  our  own  colonial  possessions  in  the  West  Indies,  to  write  with 
temper  of  such  matters.  And  again,  I  sul)mit  it  to  the  public  of 
my  native  country,  that  were  Spain's  debt  lo  England,  and  for  re- 
payment of  which  Cuba  may  be  considered  as  part  of  the  security, 
duly  provided  for  and  secured,  there  is  little  or  no  interest  which 
could  or  should  prevent  England  from  viewing  the  occupation  of 
Cuba  by  our  brethren  of  the  United  States  of  America  with  feel- 
ings of  complacency.  For  the  honour  of  America  herself,  such 
occupation,  if  it  is  to  be  gone  about,  should  be  gone  about  only  on 
some  justifying  cause,  or  by  a  legitimate  transaction  of  sale  ;  and 
any  gross  violation  of  justice  or  tae  hw  of  nations  in  the  matter 
might  justify  or  require  the  intervention  of  England,  or  the  other 
powers  of  Europe  in  alliance  with  Spain,  to  forbid  the  bans  be- 
tween the  United  States  and  Cuba.  But  so  far  as  interest  is  con- 
cerned, and  apart  from  the  question  that  Cuba  forms  part  of  the 
security  for  Spain's  debt  to  Great  Britain,  interest  to  prevent 
American  annexation  England  has  none.  *  I  am  aware  that  other 
writers  have  expressed  themselves  differently,  but  I  cannot  see  the 
grounds  of  their  opinions  j  and  I  know  that  there  are  in  England 
persons  who  entertain  an  unworthy  jealousy  towards  America,  just 
as  there  are  in  the  United  States  a  great  number  of  illiterate  pre- 
judiced persons,  chiefly  composed  of  renegade  sons  of  Great  Bri- 
tain herself,  who  entertain  unworthy  and  jealous  feelings  towards 
England.  But  such  parties  should  be  excluded  from  the  consider- 
ation of  the  good,  the  true,  and  the  well-informed,  on  both  sides 
of  the  Atlantic ;  and  while  I  have  long  known  that  the  body  of 
intelligent  men  in  Great  Britain  look  with  extreme  interest  on  the 
rapid  advancement  in  knowledge,  in  art,  and  in  science,  of  the 
young  republic  of  America — remembering  the  source  whence  they 
sprang,  and  feeling  anything  but  regret  that,  actuated  by  the  feel- 
ings which  animated  their  sires,  they  effectually  resisted  the 
tyranny  of  the  government  of  the  nipther  country — I  ah^o  know 
that  there  arc  a  vast  number  of  intelligent,  enlightened  Ameri- 
cans, who  look  with  friendly  feelings  towards  England,  and  rcgrtrd 
with  pride  and  pleasure,  not  only  their  descent  from  her,  and  their 
common  origin  with  her,  but  also  the  many  matchless  institutions 
which  England  possesses,  and  iier  noble  efforts  in  the  great  cause 
of  humanity.  An  American  friend  of  my  own,  an  officer  of  the 
Aiuerican  navy,  whom  I  met  with  when  at  St.  Kitt's  and  again  at 
Santa  Cruz,  expressed  the  same  feeling  strongly  to  me  in  conver- 
sation when  he  said,  "  You  are  going  to  my  country,  sir ;  and, 
wbep  travelling,  you  may  hear  much  nonsense  talked  of  England 
aid  An  erica,  and  their  feelinjis  and  position  as  rejrards  each  other; 


l)ut,  tak»>  my  word  for  it,  if  America  would  ever  like  to  see  the 


120 


CUBA— AMERICAN  ACQUISITION. 


Old  Country  embroiled  in  a  war  with  all  the  rest  of  Europe,  it 
would  only  be  because  it  would  afford  her  an  opportunity  of  step- 
ping in  to  her  relief,  and  fighting  upon  England's  side."  On  an- 
other occasion,  an  intelligent  Bostonian  remarked  to  me  at  Niagara, 
that  certainly  the  States  were  more  jealous  of  insult  from  England 
than  from  any  other  country  in  the  world.  I  asked  why,  assuring 
him  that  no  intelligent  man  in  England  reciprocated  this  feeling ; 
and  his  candid  answer  was,  "  Because,  I  suspect,  we  respect  Great 
Britain  more  than  "we  do  any  other  country,  and  next  to  our- 
selves." Sincerely  do  I  trust  that  my  naval  friend  will  never 
have  the  opportunity  of.  showing  his  or  his  country's  aflFection  for 
Great  Britain  in  the  manner  he  so  characteristically  indicated. 
But  I  think  there  is  much  truth  in  the  Bostonian's  courteous  ex- 
planation ;  and  I  deem  it  simply  an  act  of  justice,  and  of  grati- 
tude for  the  many  kindnesses  I  received  when  in  the  United  States 
of  America,  to  record  whatever  fact  is  likely  to  tend  to  promote 
friendly  relations  between  two  countries  which  stand  almost  in  the 
relationship  of  parent  and  child.  And  most  sincerely  honest  am 
I  in  stating  it  to  be  a  conviction  formed,  even  after  travelling 
through  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  United  States,  that  there  is 
among  the  intelligence  of  America  a  much  kindlier  feeling  towards 
Great  Britain  than  is  generally  believed  in  this  country. 

Even  if  America  gets  Cuba,  the  possession  may  not  be  very 
valuable  to  herself  (whatever  it  is  under  the  present  system  to 
Spain ;)  but  her  doing  so  will,  at  all  events,  put  an  end  to  the  slave 
trade,  in  so  far  at  least  as  the  importation  of  slaves  into  Cuba  is 
concerned.  And  who  doubts  but  that  the  system  of  slavery  itself 
runs  a  chance  of  much  more  speedy  abolishment  at  the  hands  of  free 
and  enlightened  America,  than  at  the  hands  of  bigoted  and  ensiaved 
Spain  ?  Even  the  Southern  planter,  who  most  dreads  emancipation — 
even  the  champion  of  that  party  which  most  opposed  emancipation — 
even  Colonel  Hayne  himself,  who  has  in  Congress  most  loudly,  and 
I  confess  I  think  with  some  justice,  complained  against  the  conduct 
of  the  apostles  of  the  Emancipationist  party,  who — 

"  Fire  in  each  eye,  and  paper  m  each  hand 
Declaim  and  preach  throughout  the  land," 

scattering  firebrands  among  a  people  ready  to  be  excited  to  vio- 
lence— even  parties  such  as  these  carry  their  arguments  against 
emancipation  no  fiirther  than  this,  that  the  proper  time  for  it  has 
not  yet  come.  None  of  them,  that  I  ever  heard,  say  that  the  time 
is  never  to  come.  All  they  contend  for  is  delay  to  prepare  the 
country,  the  institutions,  and  the  people  for  the  change;  and  that  in 
some  sort  of  way  it  should  be  a  gradual  one  In  short,  all  parties  in 
P^ngland  and  America  seem  to  agree  in  this,  that  slavery  as  a  system 


CUBAN  LADIES. 


121 


}t  of  Europe,  it 
rtunity  of  step- 
side."  On  an- 
I  me  at  Niagara, 
t  from  England 
i  why,  assuring 
ed  this  feeling ; 
'^e  respect  Great 
d  next  to  our- 
iend  will  never 
y's  affection  for 
cally  indicated. 
,'s  courteous  ex- 
e,  and  of  grati- 
le  United  States 
;end  to  promote 
id  almost  in  the 
erely  honest  am 
after  travelling 
;es,  that  there  is 
■  feeling  towards 
untry. 

ay  not  be  very 

Bsent   system  to 

end  to  the  slave 

ves  into  Cuba  is 

of  slavery  itself 

le  hands  of  free 

ed  and  enslaved 

emancipation — 

emancipation — 

lost  loudly,  and 

inst  the  conduct 


excited  to  vio- 
uments  against 
time  for  it  has 
ly  that  the  time 
to  prepare  the 
ge;  and  that  in 
rt,  all  parties  in 
,'ery  as  a  system 


has  received  its  death-blow,  although  it  is  not  yet  extinct  in  the 
United  States;  and  confident  do  I  feel,  from  personally  witnessing 
the  feeling,  both  of  the  northern  and  southern  States ;  hearing  in- 
fluential senators  and  others  talk  of  it,  and  reading  the  local  papers 
on  both  sides  when  on  the  spot,  that  a  distinct,  emphatic  denial  of 
this  truth,  on  the  part  of  the  South,  would  lead  to  the  mooting  of 
the  question  of  a  "Repeal  of  the  American  Union." 

But  to  return  to  Cuba,  and  to  the  scenes  of  this  unique  town  of 
Havanna,  with  its  narrow  streets,  and  gay  promenades,  drives,  and 
inhabitants. 

The  Plaza  de  Armas  is  a  public  square  near  the  quays,  in  which 
is  situated  the  town  mansion  of  the  Captain-general  or  Governor  of 
the  island.  Though  not  large,  it  is  very  pretty  and  effective,  being 
planted  with  trees,  paved  in  the  centre  and  towards  the  outside  with 
broad  flags,  ar*^.  surrounded  with  benches.  Nearly  every  evening, 
and  especially  on  Sunday  evenings  and  holidays,  and  other  days  of 
special  commemoration,  there  is  a  large  concourse  of  the  inhabitants 
assembled  here,  to  listen  to  the  magnificent  music  which  is  poured 
forth  by  the  military  bands,  which  attend  for  the  purpose  in  front 
of  the  Captain-general's  house.  During  my  stay,  there  happened 
the  anniversary  of  the  birthday  of  the  Queen-mother  of  Spain,  and 
the  public  gaieties  and  rejoicings  were  on  a  scale  of  commemorative 
splendour  proportionate  to  the  importance  of  the  event,  or  the 
Spaniard's  notion  of  it.  I  therefore  not  only  saw  the  Plaza  de 
Armas,  and  also  the  Paseo  Isabella  Secunda,  and  other  places  of 
public  resort,  in  their  usual,  but  likewise  in  their  holiday  attire; 
and  the  scene  was  certainly  a  very  gay  and  brilliant  one.  In  the 
forenoon  there  was  a  levee  at  the  house  of  the  Captain-general,  in 
which  uniforms  of  scarlet,  green,  purple,  and  nearly  every  shade  of 
colour,  enriched  with  as  much  gold  and  silver  as  could  be  stuck 
upon  them,  contended  for  the  mastery.  I  confess,  however,  that  it 
struck  me  that  the  uniforms  were  much  more  gorgeous  than  tasteful, 
and  that  some  of  the  grandees  who  figured  in  them  looked  much 
more  like  "  flunkies"  than  senators  or  general  officers.  Add  to  this 
the  unusual  number  of  men  of  small  stature,  and  that  (as  not  unfre- 
quently  happens)  the  most  insignificant  in  point  of  size  were  gene- 
rally the  most  ledizcned  with  uniform  and  orders,  and  the  reader 
will  see  that  the  drawing-room  of  the  Governor-general  of  Cuba  did 
not  impress  me  with  very  high  notions  eitht.  o*'  Spanish  stature  or 
Spanish  taste.  But  the  remark  only  applies  to  the  lordly  portion  of 
Cuban  creation.  It  were  the  grossest  injustice  to  apply  it  to  the 
ladies.  Indeed,  it  is  only  the  simple  truth  to  say  that  I  was  wholly 
unprepared  for  the  beautiful  forms  and  noble  countenances  of  tho 
Cuban  ladies.  For  dark  eyes,  liquid  in  their  lustrous  light,  and 
those  long  eyelashes  which  give  so  soft  a  radiance  to  the  glance  of  a 


122 


HOUSES  OF  HAVANNA. 


ill 

li; 


fair  Italienne,  and  for  raven  tresses,  I  was  somewhat  prepared ;  but 
certainly  not  for  the  full  forms  and  handsome  countenances  these 
Creole  ladies  of  Cuba  so  generally  display.  No  doubt  they  want 
that  freshness  of  complexion  to  be  found  in  more  northern  climes ; 
but  they  have  full  figures,  well-developed  busts,  noble  countenances, 
and  eyes  of  the  most  brilliant  softness.  Indeed  there  is  about  the 
ladies  of  Cuba  an  appearance  of  health  which  is  somewhat  at  vari- 
ance  with  the  ascertained  fact  that  they  seldom,  if  ever,  take  any 
amount  or  degree  of  exercise,  farther  than  a  drive  to  the  Paseo  or  to 
the  shops  and  stores,  or  cafes,  (where  they  are  served,  sitting  in  their 
carriages,)  in  the  indispensaole  volante.  Yet,  with  all  this  indo- 
lence— with  us  so  certain  an  inducer  of  bad  health — the  ladies  of 
Cuba  have  a  breadth  of  shoulder  and  a  fullness  of  bust  which  rival 
even  those  of  the  Norman  beauty  of  England,  and  which  the  travel- 
ler will  look  for  in  vain  among  the  fairy  forms  to  be  seen  in  the 
United  States  of  America.  In  part  explanation  of  this  acknow- 
ledged fact,  I  have  heard  or  read  a  reference  made  to  the  open 
nature  of  the  houses  in  Havanna,  and  to  the  fact  that  thus  the  in- 
habitants may  be  said  to  live  almost  always  in  the  open  air — or  at 
least  to  have  always  a  free  circulation  of  air  around  them ;  and  I  am 
satisfied  there  is  much  in  this.  Indeed,  were  it  not  for  this,  living 
in  Havanna  would  scarcely  be  endurable.  It  would  be  rendered  in- 
supportable by  the  combined  influence  of  the  heat  and  of  the  odours. 
The  streets  are  narrow,  particularly  those  within  the  walls.  Nor  is 
the  town  in  any  degree  entitled  to  a  character  for  cleanliness ;  so 
that  the  olfactory  nerves  are  often,  as  you  go  along  the  streets, 
oflcnded  with  odours  of  the  most  villainous  character,  of  which  the 
smell  of  garlic  seems  always  to  form  a  part.  When  to  this  you  add 
the  occasional  smells  of  tobacco,  dried  fish,  rancid  butter,  damp  bales, 
and  the  exhalations  from  the  moist,  and  not  particularly  clean, 
skins  of  the  negro  slaves,  and  remember  that  the  whole  is  to  be 
encountered  with  the  thermometer  standing,  in  the  shade,  at  or 
about  90  or  100°  of  Fahrenheit,  it  will  be  admitted  that  a  free  cir- 
culation of  air  is  most  desirable.  And  admirably  are  the  Havanna 
houses  adapted  for  receiving  that  free  circulation.  The  ceilings  are 
in  general  extremely  lofty.  The  windows  are  also  wide,  and  so  high 
that  they  extend  from  the  ceiling  to  the  floor;  and,  being  unglazed, 
and  only  closed  by  blinds  which  do  not  exclude  the  air,  there  is  at 
all  times  a  free  circulation,  without  which  the  climate  would  be  ab- 
solutely insupportable.  Those  blinds  are  but  seldom  drawn,  even 
in  the  evening ;  and  it  has  a  singular  cftect  to  a  European  or  Ameri- 
can eye,  to  observe  that,  as  you  walk  along  the  narrow  troUoirs  of 
the  narrow  streets,  you  occasionally  brush  clothes  with  the  hand- 
somely dressed  signoras  and  signers,  as  they  lounge  at  their  evening 
reunions, ' 


;    ing, 


parties;  or  family 


leaning  against 


prepared;  but 
itenances  these   j 
ubt  they  want 
)rthern  climes; 
e  countenances, 
re  is  about  the 
lewhat  at  vari- 
ever,  take  any 
the  Paseo  or  to 
,  sitting  in  their 
tk  all  this  indo- 
I — the  ladies  of 
ust  which  rival 
hich  the  travel- 
be  seen  in  the 
f  this   acknow- 
ie  to  the  open 
lat  thus  the  in- 
jpen  air — or  at 
hem;  and  I  am 
for  this,  living 
be  rendered  in- 
d  of  the  odours, 
walls.     Nor  is 
cleanliness;  so 
»ng  the  streets, 
3r,  of  which  the 
to  this  you  add 
ter,  damp  bales, 
ticularly  clean, 
whole  is  to  be 
le  shade,  at  or 
that  a  free  cir- 
'e  the  Havanna 
he  ceilings  are 
de,  and  so  high 
)eing  unglazed, 
air,  there  is  at 
would  be  ab- 
m  drawn,  even 
pcan  or  Ameri- 
ow  trottoirs  of 
ith  the  hand- 
t  their  evening 
bars  which  run 


i 


COSTUME,  ETC.,  IN  HAVANNA. 


123 


V 


from  the  top  to  the  bottom  of  their  lofty  windows,  dividing  them 
from  the  street.  The  same  circumstance — the  openness  of  the  win- 
dows, and  the  unfrequency  of  drawn  blinds — enables,  nay  almost 
compels  the  passenger,  as  he  walks  along  the  street,  to  see  the  do- 
mestic operations  and  attitudes  of  the  persons  (generally  the  smaller 
class  of  shop  and  storekeepers)  who  occupy  the  houses  fronting  the 
narrower  streets.  But  it  is  only  fair  to  add  that  the  privilege  is  one 
which  is  seldom  abused,  and  one  an  abuse  of  which  would  meet  with 
an  immediate  and  indignant  check,  by  the  offender  being  at  once 
given  into  charge  for  punishment.  During  the  time  I  was  in  Cuba, 
I  only  saw  one  tipsy  man,  and  he  was  either  an  Englishman  or  an 
American ;  and  on  no  occasion  did  I  hear  or  see  any  quarrel  on  the 
street,  arising  from  the  ladies  or  other  persons  at  the  windows  being 
addressed  by  the  passers-by  who  rubbed  clothes  with  them,  or  from 
any  other  cause. 

It  is  also  a  simple  act  of  justice  to  pay  a  tribute  to  the  manner — 
the  excellent,  tasteful,  and  cleanly  manner — in  which  both  the  ladies 
and  the  gentlemen  of  Havanna  dress  themselves.  In  the  manner  in 
which  they  dress  their  children,  they  not  unfrequeetly  carry  this  ' : 
a  ludicrous  length.  At  the  Tacon  theatre,  and  when  driving  on  lae 
Paseo,  I  have  ofttimes  seen  a  couple,  compoged  evidently  of  father 
and  son,  the  latter  an  urchin  of  four,  five,  or  six  years  of  age,  and 
both  dressed  precisely  alike,  even  to  the  jewelled  cane,  the  gold 
watch,  the  diamond  ring.  This  surely  is  "  ridiculous  excess."  But, 
as  a  general  rule,  the  Cubans  dress  tastefully  and  well,  both  men  and 
women.  It  seemed  to  me  that  the  male  part  of  the  community  had 
a  great  preference  for  black  coats,  with  white  waistcoats  and  continua- 
tions ;  and,  if  the  coat  be  light  in  texture,  this  is  a  dress  most  admirably 
adapted  for  the  climate.  These  Cuban  gentlemen  do  also,  as  it  ap- 
peared to  me,  endeavour  to  eschew  hair  on  the  sides  of  the  cheek, 
and  to  promote  its  production  on  every  other  part  of  the  face — a 
habit,  I  certainly  think,  filthy  and  unbecoming :  but  de  gustibus  nil 
est  disputandum.  The  English  traveller  in  these  regions  will  find 
no  persons  who  excel  his  own  countrymen  in  extraordinary  attempts 
at  the  growth  of  hair  on  the  human  face  divine. 

The  ladies,  save  when  occasions  of  a  religious  ceremony  or  family 
observance  compel  the  use  of  black,  do  unquestionably  prefer  white 
dresses — that  most  effective  of  all  dress  for  the  young  and  fair,  a 
white  muslin  dress.  In  these  flowing  muslins,  and  without  bonnets 
or  other  head-dress,  to  hide  the  magnificent  hair  which  nature  has 
given  them,  they  come  put  to  the  afternoon  drive  in  the  Paseo,  or  to 
the  evening  lounge  on  the  Plaza  de  Armas ;  and,  gracefully  reclin- 
ing, in  easy  indolence,  in  their  volantes,  which  form  a  cordon  around 
the  whole  square,  they  converse  or  flirt  with  their  numerous  beaus 
during  the  intervals  between  the  music — the  ample  folds  of  their 


124 


HAVANNA— THE  DOMINICA. 


dresses  flowing  over  on  eact  side  of  the  steps  of  the  carriage,  but 
clear  of  contamination  from  the  mud  on  the  wheels,  from  the  circum- 
stance of  the  latter  being  placed  so  far  back,  in  the  manner  before 
explained,  when  describing  the  vehicle.  In  short,  I  recollect  of  no 
instance  in  which  I  have  seen  anything  of  the  kind  more  beautiful 
than  a  well-appointed  Cuba  volante,  with  two  or  three  fair  Creole 
ladies  of  Cuba  sitting  on  it,  their  heads  uncovered,  and  their  white 
dresses  flowing  in  graceful  folds  around  them.  Inside  the  volantes 
at  the  Plaza  de  Armas,  there  are  rows  of  forms  and  chairs  placed  for 
those  who  prefer  to  sit ;  and  within  the  whole  is  a  place  for  prome- 
nading, the  bands  (for  there  are  generally  two,  if  not  three,)  being 
stationed  around  the  statue  in  the  centre.  The  square  is  lit  with  gas 
when  occasion  requires;  and  a  more  agreeable  place  for  an  evening 
promenade  it  were  difficult  to  imagine. 

The  Paseo  Isabel,  which  lies  between  the  walls  of  Havanna  and 
the  streets  of  the  new  town,  is  another  place  of  public  resort,  being 
the  chief  place  to  which  the  citizens  repair  with  their  volantes,  to 
drive  up  and  down  on  festival  occasions — enjoying,  at  the  same  time, 
the  luxury  of  seeing  and  of  being  seen,  and  the  exquisite  music  dis- 
coursed by  the  military  bands  provided  by  the  Government  for  the 
amusement  of  the  people.  I  witnessed  the  scene  on  the  occasion  be- 
fore mentioned — namely,  on  the  anniversary  of  the  birthday  of  the 
Queen-mothe^  Christina— as  well  as  at' other  times  i  and  a  very  gay, 
cheerful  scene  it  is.  If  I  were  to  venture  a  conjecture  as  to  the 
number  of  volantes  I  saw,  at  one  time,  driving  up  and  down  the 
Paseo,  I  fear  I  would  scarcely  be  credited.  It  seemed  as  if  all  Ha- 
vanna had  turned  out  in  honour  of  the  occasion. 

The  hour  of  drive  in  the  Paseo  is  generally  early  in  the  afternoon, 
about  five  o'clock ;  that  of  the  promenade  in  the  Plaza  de  Armas, 
considerably  later — about  eight  o'clock.  Indeed,  it  seemed  to  me 
that  the  fair  Cubans  just  loitered  at  the  one  till  it  was  time  to  go  to 
the  other ;  and  many  a  voluptuous  form,  whom  I  had  seen  sitting  in 
her  volante  as  it  drove  along  the  Paseo,  did  I  afterwards  recognise 
reclining,  with  easy  elegance,  in  the  same  vehicle  at  the  Plaza. 

On  leaving  the  Plaza  de  Armas,  the  places  of  resort  are  the  Thea- 
tre Tacon,  (in  wbi.ch  there  is,  generally,  an  operatic  company  of  con- 
siderable merit,)  when  it  is  open ;  or  the  splendid  cafes,  of  which 
there  are,  at  least,  two  very  large  ones  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  Plaza.  I  can  only  speak  from  personal  experience  of  one  of 
these  cafes — that  called  the  Dominica — than  which  there  is  not  a 
better  appointed  establishment  of  the  kind  in  any  part  of  the  world. 
Indeed,  all  the  English  and  Americans,  as  well  as  Cubans,  I  met 
with  in  Havanna,  were  loud  in  their  praises  of  the  Dominica.  It 
was  made  by  us  our  constant  place  of  meeting  and  of  call,  whether 
we  intended  to  patronise  its  tempting  delicacies  or  not;  and  it  is 


h 


t( 


HAVANNA— TACON  THEATRE. 


125 


le  carriage,  but 
rom  the  circum- 
}  manner  before 
;  recollect  of  no 

more  beautiful 
hree  fair  Creole 
and  their  white 
ide  the  volantes 
ihairs  placed  for 
place  for  prome- 
at  three,)  being 
•e  is  lit  with  gas 

for  an  evening 


I 


\] 


»f  Havanna  and 
lie  resort,  being 
beir  volantes,  to 
,t  the  same  time, 
uisite  music  dis- 
ernment  for  the 
the  occasion  be-  „ 
birthday  of  the  ] 
and  a  very  gay, 
lecture  as  to  the 
ip  and  down  the 
d  as  if  all  Ha- 


a  the  afternoon, 
!*laza  de  Armas, 
;  seemed  to  me 
as  time  to  go  to 
1  seen  sitting  in 
wards  recognise 
he  Plaza. 
t  are  the  Thea- 
lompany  of  con- 
cafes,  of  which 
iate  vicinity  of 
ence  of  one  of 
there  is  not  a 
t  of  the  world. 
Cubans,  I  met 
Dominica.     It 
f  call,  whether 
not;  and  it  is 


simply  an  act  of  justice  to  record  the  fact,  that  nothing  could  exceed 
•  '\e  attention  and  civility  we  received,  whatever  was  the  nature  or 
puri:ose  of  the  call.  It  is  a  very  large  establishment,  capable  of  con- 
taining some  hundreds  of  visitors  at  the  same  time.  In  the  centre 
of  it  there  is  a  large,  open,  paved  court,  with  a  fountain  in  the  mid- 
dle, in  which  court  the  visitors  are  also  accommodated,  being  pro- 
tected by  a  sail  overhead,  which  can  be  drawn  back  or  across,  so  as 
to  form  a  roof,  as  occasion  may  require  or  render  expedient. 

To  describe  the  variety  of  articles  falling  under  the  generic  names 
"  preserves"  or  "  confectionaries,"  to  be  seen  and  tasted  at  the  Domi- 
nica, were  a  tedious  task  to  any  one — an  impossible  one  to  such  as 
have  had  their  culinary  education  somewhat  r*iglected,  as  has  been 
my  lot — but  the  flavour  of  some  of  them  linger  on  my  palate  still. 
The  spirited  proprietor  carries  on  a  very  large  foreign  as  well  as  home 
trade ;  and  I  was  not  at  all  surprised  when  I  was  informed  of  the 
fact,  and  saw  the  statement  verified,  by  witnessing  the  huge  boxes  of 
pine-apple  jelly,  guava  jelly,  preserved  fruits  of  every  description, 
and  liquors  of  every  possible  name  and  colour,  which  came  from  "  La 
Dominica"  to  the  steamship  Severn — Captain  Vincent  commander— 
to  be  conveyed  to  different  parts  of  the  world,  to  minister  to  the 
gratification  of  the  rising  generation  and  others.  In  short,  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  Dominica  has  a  large  home  and  foreign  business ;  and 
he  deserves  to  have  it,  were  it  only  for  his  civility  to  strangers,  and 
for  the  gallantry  with  which  his  numerous  helps  attend  to  the  com- 
mands of  the  fair  signorittas  as  they  stop  for  refreshment  of  some 
kind,  without  alighting  from  the  volante,  after  they  leave  the  Plaza 
de  Armas. 

The  Tacon  theatre  mentioned  above  is  a  very  splendid  building, 
very  spacious — being  indeed  one  of  the  largest  in  the  world.  When 
I  first  went  to  Havana,  it  was  occupied  as  a  place  for  the  exhibi- 
tion of  feats  of  legerdemain  and  "  digital  dexterity,"  by  a  gentle- 
man rejoicing  in  the  somewhat  mixed  name  of  Signer  McAllister, 
and  his  lady,  who  were  delighting  the  Cubans  with  their  magical 
performances.  The  surname  smacked  strongly  of  Scotland  j  and 
the  answer  I  received,  on  inquiring  of  a  Scotch  gentleman,  resi- 
dent in  the  island,  was,  that  he  knew  Mr.  McAllister,  and  that  he 
WPS  a  native  of  the  land  of  mountain  and  of  flood,  having  been 
born  in  the  manufacturing  village  of  Kirkintilloch,  in  the  west  of 
Scotland, 

Having  no  great  taste  for  such  exhibitions,  and  having  already 
seen  several  in  my  time — the  court-performing  "  Wizard  of  the 
North"  inclusive — it  was  not  my  countryman,  or  his  "  7ieuva  y 
variada  funclon,'*  that  attracted  me  to  the  Cuban  theatre;  although 
it  is  but  fair  to  add,  that  never  had  I  before  seen  such  perform- 
ances more  skilfully  executed  than  they  were  por  los  esposes  M^ Al- 
ii* 


126 


HAVANNA— CAMPO  SANTO. 


lister  J  who  contrived  to  keep  a  large,  gay,  and  varied  audience  in 
a  state  of  interested  delight  for  a  period,  I  should  suppose — for  I 
left  ere  it  was  finished — of  about  three  hours. 

My  object,  however,  was  to  see  the  house,  about  the  beauty  of 
which  I  had  previously  heard  much — and  that  much  was  certainly 
justified  by  the  fact.  It  is  indeed  a  superb,  tasteful  house,  painted 
white,  with  gilded  mouldings.  There  is  a  pit  capable  of  contain- 
ing fully  a  thousand  people,  each  person  being  accommodated  with 
a  seat  or  stall  separate  from  the  rest,  and  these  seats  or  stalls  being 
numbered.  Of  the  boxes  there  are  three  tiers  or  rows,  and  of  the 
galleries  there  are  two.  The  open  formation  of  the  boxes,  with 
their  movable  jalousies  behind,  and,  generally,  the  formation  of 
the  house,  is  not  only  beautiful  and  effective,  but  admirably  adapted 
to  promote  coolness — which  is,  of  course,  the  main  object  in  a 
climate  where  the  thermometer  is  rarely  below  ninety  in  the  shade. 

I  visited  the  Tacon  Theatre  also  in  the  forenoon,  to  correct  any 
too  favorable  ideas  I  might  have  formed  from  having  seen  it  when 
lit  up  by  the  splendid  gas-lights  which  illume  and  adorn  it,  and 
graced  by  the  numerous  fairy  forms,  and  brilliant  or  languishing 
eyes  of  the  ladies  who  occupied  the  boxes.  But  day-light  confirmed 
my  opinion  of  its  fine  proportions  j  and,  from  having  tried  my  own 
voice  in  it,  and  heard  others  speak  in  it,  I  would  say,  that  it  is  as 
well  adapted  for  speaking  in  as  it  is  for  seeing  and  for  hearing. 
This  theatre  is  chiefly  used  for  operatic  purposes ;  and  ere  I  left 
the  island,  Madame  Anna  Bishop,  with  Bochsa  and  Valtalli,  had 
arrived,  and  were  gratifying  the  Cubans  with  their  musical  powers. 

The  Cuba  Beneficencia  I  did  not  inspect,  and  the  only  thing  con- 
nected with  the  exterior  of  it  was  a  scene  which  is  to  be  seen  in 
Cuba  in  front  of  almost  every  place  which  is  at  all  of  a  public 
character — and  that  is,  soldiers  on  guard.  Soldiers,  soldiers,  in 
every  direction.  On  the  Paseo,  at  the  promenade,  guarding  the 
theatre,  at  the  cemetery,  and  even  in  front  of  the  hospitals.  The 
number  of  troops  in  Cuba  must  be  very  great  for  the  size  of  the 
island.  There  were  not,  at  the  time  in  question,  less  than  twelve 
thousand  in  the  town  of  Havanna  alone. 

A  little  apart  from  the  city,  and  after  passing  through  that  gate 
in  the  town  wall  which  is  nearest  the  sea,  you  come  to  the  public 
cemetery  of  Havanna,  called  the  Campo  Santo — a  place  of  no 
beauty,  but  interesting  as  the  spot  which  receives  at  last,  and  in 
rapid  succession,  the  bodies  of  rich  and  poor  in  this  town  of  bus- 
tling trade,  after  the  lease  of  life  held  by  each  comes  to  an  end. 
This  graveyard  is  surrounded  by  a  very  thick  wall,  with  an  interior 
brick-work,  in  which  are  niches  or  openings  in  tiers,  one  above 
another,  in  numerous  succession.  These  niches  or  recesses  are 
decp;  and  look  like  large  pigeon-holes ;  and  they  form  the  tombs 


y 


I 


of 
the 
so  t 
dea 


can 


i 


HAV ANNA— VALLA  DE  GALLOS. 


127 


1  audience  in 
uppose — for  I 

the  beauty  of 
was  certainly 
louse,  painted 
)le  of  contain- 
imodated  with 
or  stalls  being 
ws,  and  of  the 
le  boxes,  with 
formation  of 
irably  adapted 
in  object  in  a 
J  in  the  shade. 
to  correct  any 
I  seen  it  when 
adorn  it,  and 
)r  languishing 
ight  confirmed 
5  tried  my  own 
fy  that  it  is  as 
i  for  hearing, 
ind  ere  I  left 

I  Valtalli,  had 
usical  powers, 
nly  thing  con- 
to  be  seen  in 

II  of  a  public 
'S,  soldiers,  in 

guarding  the 
)spitals.  The 
le  size  of  the 
than  twelve 

ugh  that  gate 
to  the  public 
place  of  no 
last,  and  in 
town  of  bus- 
3S  to  an  end. 
th  an  interior 
rs,  one  above 
recesses  are 
m  the  tombs 


.1 


i 


of  the  richer  inhabitants  of  Havanna,  the  coffin  being  thrust  into 
the  niche,  and  the  end  built  up  or  covered  by  a  tablet,  to  remain 
BO  till  it  is  opened  for  the  next  member  of  the  family  for  whom 
death  calls.  In  the  yard  within  the  walls,  the  poor  are  thrust, 
generally  without  coffins,  into  shallow  graves — the  process  of 
decomposition  being  hastened  by  the  use  of  quick-lime.  If  the 
visit  is  paid  in  the  cool  of  the  evening,  the  period  of  the  day  at 
which  funerals  usually  take  place,  the  visitor  will  have  an  oppor- 
tunity of  judging  for  himself  of  the  manner  in  which  funerals  are 
conducted  in  Cuba,  as  scarcely  an  evening  passes  without  numerous 
interments  taking  place.  There  is  no  funeral  service  at  the  grave, 
and  ofttimes  the  corpse  is  brought  for  burial  dressed  in  the  clothes 
of  every-day  life.  It  was,  on  the  whole,  a  sickening  sight ;  and 
the  vicinity  of  a  lunatic  establishment,  at  the  windows  of  which 
some  of  the  inmates  were  seen,  helped  to  add  to  its  disheartening 
effect. 

It  were  to  omit  one  of  the  pleasantest  of  Cuban  reminiscences, 
not  to  mention  the  Baiios  Publicos,  or  public  bathing-houses,  to  be 
found  in  and  about  Havanna.  There  are  numerous  establishments 
in  the  town,  where  hot  and  cold  fresh-water  baths  may  be  had  at  a 
cost  of  from  a  quarter  of  a  dollar  to  half  a  dollar ;  and  it  is  only 
in  a  climate  like  Cuba  that  the  luxury  of  such  establishments  is 
fully  felt.  But  the  baths  worthy  of  special  mention  are  the  sea- 
baths  along  the  coast,  several  of  which  you  pass  on  the  way  to  the 
Campo  Santo.  The  coast  of  Cuba  is  formed  or  composed  of  a  kind 
of  honey-comb  rock,  and  this  is  cut  or  hollowed  out  into  baths,  in 
lengths  of  about  twenty  feet  square,  or  thereby,  and  of  a  depth 
varying  from  three  to  six,  or  even  eight  feet — the  outer  wall,  be- 
tween the  bath  and  the  sea,  being  perforated  with  holes,  which 
admit  the  free  flow  of  the  water  in  and  out,  while  they  do  not  per- 
mit of  the  ingress  of  anything  that  can  injure  or  annoy.  In  none 
of  the  other  islands  of  the  West  Indian  Archipelago  are  there  sea- 
baths  at  all  to  compare  with  those  of  Havanna ;  and  they  only  who 
have  felt  the  luxury  of  a  bath  in  sea  water  in  the  tropics,  and 
know  the  danger  of  swimming  in  the  open  sen  among  these  islands, 
can  appreciate  fully  the  advantage  the  Cubans  enjoy  in  having 
such  places  for  performing  their  ablutions.  There  are,  of  course, 
separate  baths  for  the  females ;  and  there  are  larger  baths  into 
Tvhich  several  persons  may  go,  while  the  visitor,  who  prefers  it,  can 
have  one  entirely  to  himself  or  herself.  These  baths  are  covered 
in  by  a  wooden  erection,  and  the  charge  for  the  bath  and  the  use  of 
towels  is  generally  a  peseta  for  the  bath,  and  a  real  for  the  towels 
— about  thirty  cents,  or  Is.  3c?. 

The  Valla  de  Gallos,  or  public  cockpits  of  Havanna,  cannot  be 
excluded  from  its  characteristics  and  sights.     They  arc  situated  in  a 


128 


HOUSES  ETC.,  IN  HAVANNA. 


large  enclosure  outside  the  walls,  and  are  composed  of  two  amphi- 
theatres,  having  benches  round  the  sides,  and  a  roof  overhead  with  a 
circular  area  in  the  middle.  These  places  are  generally  crowded,  and 
the  shouting  of  "  Mata,  mata,"  (kill,  kill,)  and  other  sounds,  baffles 
description ;  while  the  quantity  of  money  that  changes  hands,  as  each 
combat  is  brought  to  a  conclusion  by  the  one  or  other  of  the  com- 
batants in  this  inhuman  and  brutalising  sport  being  killed  or  dis- 
abled, shows  how  deeply  the  practice  and  spirit  of  gambling  gene- 
rally  have  worked  themselves  into  the  national  character.  A  cock- 
pit, and  a  game  at  Monte,  (which  is  a  chance  game  at  cards,)  can,  I 
believe,  easily  be  seen  in  any  part  of  Cuba,  as  well  as  in  most  parts 
either  of  Spain  or  of  any  of  her  colonies. 

The  stranger  in  Ilavanna  is  at  once  struck  with  the  want  of  trees, 
particularly  in  the  promenades.  This  in  a  tropical  climate,  is  un- 
questionably a  great  want.  The  trees  in  the  Paseo  are  young,  scarce- 
ly more  than  shrubs ;  and  throughout  the  whole  town  and  suburbs 
there  is  the  same  want  of  shade  from  trees — a  fact  which  is  mainly 
to  be  attributed  to  the  effects  of  a  hurricane  which  visited  the  island 
in  1844,  and  produced  much  suffering  and  distress. 

Within  the  walls,  the  streets  of  Havanna  are  both  narrow  and 
crooked — so  narrow,  that  in  some  streets  two  Volantes  can  scarce 
pass  each  other.  Outside  the  walls  they  are  wider ;  and  both  "  intra" 
and  "extra  muros"  the  buildings  are  large,  having  in  general  a 
courtyard  in  the  centre,  which  is  ofttimes  paved  with  marble,  around 
which  courtyard  are  the  entrances  to  the  rooms,  and  the  whole  has 
altogether  a  very  Moorish  aspect.  In  the  bote's  or  bording-houses, 
such  as  Madame  d'Almy's  or  Miss  Chambers's — both  of  which  are 
excellent,  well-conducted  establishments,  where  everything  may  be 
had  at  public  tables  at  a  charge  of  about  two  dollars  per  day — the 
public  rooms  are  good,  and  (which  is  the  thing  chiefly  wanted  in 
such  a  climate)  airy  and  spacious,  as  well  as  tolerably  well  furnished. 
But  the  bedrorms  are  generally  the  worst  rooms  in  the  house ;  and 
altogether  there  is  a  great  want  of  those  domestic  conveniences  com- 
prehended under  the  truly  English  term  "  comfort."  In  some  of 
the  private  houses  I  had  the  pleasure  of  visiting,  the  rooms — the 
public  ones  especially — are  very  handsome ;  and  I  enjoyed  the  hos- 
pitalities of  one  friend,  who,  while  his  public  rooms  were  good,  had 
judiciously  turned  the  two  best  rooms  of  his  mansion  into  his  own 
bedroom,  and  a  nursery  for  his  children ;  but  he  was  an  Englishman, 
at  least  a  Scotchman.  Rents  in  Havanna  are  very  high,  and  alto- 
gether it  is  a  very  dear  place  to  live  in.  The  coins  in  general  use 
are  Spanish  and  Mexican  dollars,  half  and  quarter  dollars,  pesetas, 
or  twenty-cent  pieces,  reals  de  plata,  about  the  eighth  of  a  dollar, 
and  doubloons,  of  which  there  are  two  kinds — the  one  doubloon  be- 
ing Mexican,  Columbian,  or  of  some  other  South  American  state, 


TREATMENT  OF  SLAVES. 


129 


d  of  two  amphi- 
overhead  with  a 
lly  crowded,  and 
er  sounds,  baffles 
es  bands,  as  each 
ther  of  the  com< 
Qg  killed  or  dis- 
gambling  gene- 
racter.  A  cock- 
at  cards,)  can,  I 
as  in  most  parts 

he  want  of  trees, 
1  climate,  is  un- 
,re  young,  scarce- 
Dwn  and  suburbs 
which  is  mainly 
irisited  the  island 

both  narrow  and 

antes  can  scarce 

ud  both  "  intra" 

ing  in  general  a 

p  marble,  around 

id  the  whole  has 

bording-houses, 

>th  of  which  are 

rything  may  be 

rs  per  day — the 

hiefly  wanted  in 

y  well  furnished. 

the  house ;  and 

Dnveniences  com- 

''     In  some  of 

the  rooms — the 

enjoyed  the  hos- 

were  good,  had 

on  into  his  own 

an  Englishman, 

high,  and  alto- 

in  general  use 

dollars,  pesetas, 

hth  of  a  dollar, 

le  doubloon  be- 

Amcrican  state, 


U 


and  being  of  the  value  of  £S.  6s.  8d.,  and  a  legal  tender  for  sixteen 
dollars;  and  the  other,  the  old  Spanish  doubloon,  or  onza  d'oro, 
value  about  £S.  10s.  lOd.,  and  a  legal  tender  for  seventeen  silver 
dollars.     Of  the  silver  dollars,  the  Spanish  pillar  dollar  is  preferred. 

When  on  the  subject  of  coins,  I  would  strongly  recommend  the 
traveller  in  these  parts,  before  starting  on  his  voyage,  or  as  soon 
thereafter  as  possible,  to  possess  himself  of  a  book  or  pamphlet  con- 
taining drawings  of  most  coins  in  use,  with  a  statement  of  their 
relative  worth  and  value.  Such  pamphlets  are  published  in  Ameri- 
ca, by  Taylor  and  others.  I  am  not  aware  whether  there  are  any 
works  of  a  similar  nature  published  in  England ;  but,  at  all  events, 
the  American  publication  can  easily  be  procured  in  this  country, 
from  any  bookseller  who  deals  in  transatlantic  publications.  These 
pamphlets  are  issued  in  the  States  once  a-month,  and  are  there  of 
especial  use,  as  they  contain  descriptions  of  the  numerous  notes 
(paper  money)  of  inferior  value,  or  of  no  value  at  all,  which  are 
there  in  constant  circulation,  and  with  which  the  designing  and  dis- 
honest often  cheat  the  unwary  traveller.  They  also  give  drawings 
and  descriptions  of  most  coins,  with  the  relative  value  of  each  in 
cents. 

Before  leaving  Cuba,  I  did  my  utmost  to  get  as  accurate  informa- 
tion as  possible,  as  to  the  general  condition  of  the  slave  population ; 
but  the  details  differed  so  much,  that  it  was  next  to  impossible  to 
lay  down  any  statement  of  general  application.  The  system  is  so 
very  a  despotism,  and  masters  differ  so  widely,  that  what  is  true  of 
one  is  untrue  of  another,  and  the  shades  of  difference  in  the  treat- 
ment of  their  slaves  are  just  as  numerous  as  the  men.  A  few  par- 
ticulars, however,  I  ascertained  as  facts  beyond  dispute. 

In  the  first  place,  the  domestic  slaves,  those  employed  in  the  per- 
formance of  menial  offices  in  the  families  of  their  owners,  are  in 
general  very  well  treated.  Nor  are  they  indiscriminately  selected 
from  the  general  body.  The  office  is  as  it  were  hereditary ;  the  chil- 
dren, if  there  are  any,  being  brought  up  to  the  performance  of 
domestic  work  as  the  parents  die.  It  is  plain  that  ties  will  thus  be 
formed  between  the  master  and  mistress,  and  their  families,  and  their 
domestic  servants,  which  will  go  far  to  soften  the  hardships  of  slavery, 
and  to  secure  the  comparative  good  treatment  of  the  slaves.  So  it 
is  in  Cuba.  The  best-informed  parties  in  Havanna  assured  me,  and 
my  own  observation  led  me  to  the  same  conclusion,  that,  on  the 
whole,  the  household  slaves  were  a  favoured  race  compared  with  their 
fellows  in  the  field,  and  that  instances  in  which  domestics  were  ill 
treated  were  the  exceptions,  and  not  the  rule. 

Among  the  slaves,  and  particularly  among  the  domestic  slaves,  it 
occasionally  happens  that  a  slave  works  out  his  or  her  freedom,  un  Jer 
the  operation  of  a  law  known  as  giving  rise  to  what  is  called  the 


130 


TREATMENT  OF  SLAVES. 


Cuartado  system.  By  this  system  a  slave  can  purchase  his  freedom 
if  80  incliDcd.  If  he  has  been  purchased  by  bis  master,  the  price 
so  paid  is  held  also  as  the  price  which  he  must  pay  for  his  liberation  ; 
while,  if  he  has  been  born  in  slavery  to  his  master,  he  is  entitled  by 
law  to  have  a  price  put  upon  himself  by  valuation,  at  which  price  he 
has  the  right  to  redeem  himself  from  bondage.  After  this  valuation, 
on  paying  one-sixth  of  the  price,  the  slave  becomes  master  of  his 
own  time,  becomes  free,  as  it  were,  for  one  day  in  the  week  j  another 
sixth,  two  days,  and  so  on  j  so  that  the  capacity  for  acquiring  free- 
dom, as  well  as  the  desire  so  to  do — like  Virgil's  impersonation  of 
fame — vires  acquint  eundo.  If  I  remember  aright,  some  such  plan 
was  once  proposed  by  the  British  statesman  Canning,  for  the  gradual 
emancipation  of  the  slaves  in  the  British  colonial  possessions.  Wheji 
once  adventured  on,  and  to  some  length  successfully  prosecuted,  the 
path  to  freedom  by  the  Cuartado  system  is  not  a  difficult  one.  But 
to  commence, — hie  labor  hoc  opus  est :  few  even  of  the  strongest 
and  best-behaved  can  find  the  means  of  beginning  to  work  out  their 
liberty,  and  hence  it  is  that  there  are  but  few  Cuartados  to  be  found 
in  Cuba.  But  there  are  a  few,  and  it  is  generally  conceded — indeed, 
it  may  be  readily  supposed — that  persons  who  have  so  adventured  on 
a  course  of  welldoing  for  the  purchase  of  the  dearest  earthly  right, 
will  make  the  best  and  most  faithful  domestic  servants,  and  are  ac- 
cordingly generally  selected  for  that  purpose. 

The  field-labourers  are  however,  as  a  body,  in  a  very  diflFerent  situa- 
tion. As  a  general  rule,  their  labour  is  very  severe,  and  their 
treatment  very  harsh — during  the  process  of  sugar-making,  especially 
so.  When  once  the  grinding  or  pressing  the  cane — the  first  step  in 
sugar-making — is  begun,  it  proceeds  day  and  night,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Sundays  and  other  holidays,  (and  ofttimes  without  even  these 
exceptions,)  till  the  whole  is  completed.  The  slaves  work  in  gangs, 
and  for  six  hours  or  —  at  a  time — being  kept  closely  at  their  work 
by  the  fear  of  the  lash,  and  by  its  frequent  application.  In  some 
estates  there  are  no  women — in  others  there  are  very  few ;  and  the 
men  are,  during  the  hours  devoted  to  sleep,  penned  up  in  barracoons 
like  so  many  cattle.  No  doubt  the  treatment  varies  on  diflferent 
estates.  On  some  it  is  much  more  humane  than  on  others,  but  as  a 
general  rule  it  is  the  very  reverse  of  humane ;  and  I  could  not,  al- 
though I  diligently  inquired,  hear  of  any  estate  on  which  the  number 
of  labourers  was  kept  up  by  births  on  the  estate  itself.  Indeed,  the 
idea  of  making  the  slave  population  supply  itself  is  the  last  thing 
that  seems  to  enter  a  Cuban's  mind ;  and  it  will  be  so  long  as,  by 
violating  the  contract  made  with,  and  paid  for  by  England  in  1817, 
and  by  encouraging  the  disgusting  slave  trade,  he  can  buy  much 
cheaper  than  he  can  breed.  To  breed  slaves  is  bad  enough,  but  it 
is  an  evil  unquestionably  second  to  the  stealing  and  selling  of  them ; 


TREATMENT  OF  SLAVES. 


131 


ise  hia  freedom 
aster,  the  price 

his  liberation ; 
e  is  entitled  by 
vrbich  price  he 

this  valuation, 

master  of  his  \ 
week ;  another  I  f 
acquiring  free-  | 
ipersonation  of 
some  such  plan 
for  the  gradual 
essions.  Wheji 
prosecuted,  the 
cult  one.  But 
■  the  strongest 
work  out  their 
lo3  to  be  found 
ceded — indeed, 

adventured  on 
t  earthly  right, 
kts,  and  are  ac- 

difFerent  situa- 

ere,  and   their 

cing,  especially 

he  first  step  in 

v'lth  the  excep- 

lout  even  these 

;vork  in  gangs, 

f  at  their  work 

ion.     In  some     i 

few;  and  the 

in  barracoons 

i  on  different 

thers,  but  as  a 

could  not,  al- 

ch  the  number 

.     Indeed, the 

he  last  thing 

io  lor.g  as,  by 

land  in  1817, 

;an  buy  much 

nough,  but  it 

ling  of  them ; 


and  thus  It  is,  it  should  bo  remembered,  that  to  end  slavery  we  must 
begin  at  the  beginning :  we  must  first  put  an  end  to  the  slave  traflSc. 
That  is  unquestionably  the  natural  way. 

Indeed,  as  to  the  condition  and  treatment  of  agricultural  slaves  ia 
the  island  of  Cuba,  these  two  well-ascertained  facts  speak  volumes, 
and  render  further  inquiry  almost  unnecessary.  In  the  first  place, 
the  Negro  population  is  far,  very  far  from  supporting  itself  The 
number  of  victims  annually  robbed  from  Africa  and  taken  as  slaves 
to  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  and  Brazil,  are  estimated  at  seventy-eight  thou- 
sand. Of  these  the  Spanish  colonies  get  one-half  But  whatever 
number  may  be  landed  at  Porto  Kico  in  the  first  instance,  few  are 
allowed  to  remain  there,  for  the  reason  already  pointed  out  when 
writing  of  the  labouring  population  of  that  productive  island.  It  is 
therefore  within  the  truth  to  estimate  the  numbers  annually  taken  to 
Cuba  at  thirty  thousand ;  and  that  this  amount  of  importation  is 
required  to  make  good  the  ravages  by  death,  is  proved  by  the  fact, 
that  whenever,  through  the  vigilance  of  British  cruisers  or  otherwise, 
there  has  her  a  a  failure  in  the  number  imported,  the  price  has  im- 
mediately and  rapidly  risen.  It  is  a  fact  well  known  and  universally 
admitted  in  Havanna,  that  when,  in  the  spring  or  summer  of  1847, 
intelligence  reached  Cuba  that  the  British  Government  had  actually 
passed  the  Sugar  Duties  Bill  of  1846,  (admitting  slave-grown  sugar 
into  our  markets,)  the  price  of  slaves  immediately  rose  greatly ;  and 
such  was  the  demand  occasioned  by  the  increase  of  sugar  cultivation 
in  the  island,  that  slaves  formerly  considered  so  old,  infirm,  and 
superannuated,  as  to  be  exempted  from  working  were  again  put  to 
work ;  and  some  were  drafted  from  the  lighter  work  of  the  caflFetal, 
or  coffee  plantations,  on  to  the  heavier  labour  of  the  sugar  estates  : 
and  these  consequences  arose  solely  from  the  fact  that  the  slavers 
were  unable  to  supply  the  demand  with  sufficient  rapidity,  being 
prevented  by  the  vigilance  of  the  British  and  French  cruising 
squadrons. 

In  the  second  place,  it  is  now  but  too  well  known  that  the 
average  life  of  a  slave,  after  he  reaches  Cuba,  does  not  exceed 
seven  or  eight  years.  This  acknowledged  fact  requires  no  com- 
ment. It  contains  in  itself  at  once  the  evidence  and  the  explana- 
tion of  the  inhuman  treatment  which  these  unfortunates  receive  at 
the  hands  of  their   oppressors. 

There  are  surely  none,  who  can  appreciate  the  horrors  of  such  a 
a  state  of  things,  who  would  not  gladly  aid  in  and  towards  their 
suppression.  That  the  issue  is  rapidly  approaching  seems  very 
evident ;  but  how  it  is  to  be  brought  about  is  not  so  plain.  If  to 
any  I  may  seem  to  contemplate  too  liberally  the  possibility  of  the 
American  Republic  acquiring  Cuba  by  purchase  or  otherwise,  it  is 
possible  that  my  feelings  thereto  are  somewhat  influenced  by  the 


132 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIAN  COLONIES. 


!i 


#"' 


conviction  that  such  acquisition  of  the  isle  of  Cuba  would  accele- 
rate, instead  of  (as  some  think)  retarding  the  glorious  day  of  the 
abolition,  not  only  of  the  slave  trade,  but  of  slavery,  even  in  the 
American  Union  itself.  Apart  however  from  tb's,  and  even  should 
Great  Britain  and  France  be  left  alone,  as  they  may  be  said  to 
have  hitherto  been,  in  their  holy  crusade  against  the  system  of 
slavery ;  and  apart  even  from  the  vexed  question  of  whether  the 
African  squadron  is  either  a  judicious  or  an  efiicient  weapon  for 
slave  trade  suppression,  England  and  France  have  other,  more 
powerful,  and  more  universally  applicable  means  at  their  com- 
mand, for  the  accomplishment  of  their  beneficent  designs  towa.ds 
the  swarthy  sons  of  Africa.  It  will  form  part  of  the  object  of  the 
next  chapter  to  explain  what  these  means  are,  and  how  they  should 
be  employed. 


fc 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

"Great  was  the  boon,  my  country,  when  you  gave 
To  man  his  birthright,  freedom  to  the  slave." 

The  concluding  remarks  of  the  last  chapter  have  brought  me  to 
the  date  at  which  I  left  the  West  Indian  Archipelago — never,  in 
all  probability,  to  return  thereto.  Thereafter  crossing  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  from  Havanna  to  Mobile,  I  found  myself  for  the  first  time, 
and  with  highly  raised  hopes,  on  the  great  continent  of  America. 

But,  before  finally  leaving  the  subject  of  the  British  colonial 
possessions  in  the  West  Indies,  I  am  irresistibly  impelled,  nay,  I 
feel  it  almost  a  duty,  to  record,  in  as  few  words  as  I  can,  the  views 
and  impressions,  formed  upon  the  scene,  as  to  the  claims,  position 
and  future  prospects  of  these  noble  colonies  of  England.  No 
doubt  the  subject  is  nearly  threadbare.  So  much  has  been  said 
and  written  upon  it  already,  that  it  were  perhaps  scarcely  to  be 
hoped  that  any  new  fact  should  be  here  stated,  any  new  view  eli- 
cited, or  the  general  subject  discussed  with  greater  clearness  and 
force  of  argument  than  have  been  already  brought  to  bear  upon  it 
by  otL  .r  and  by  abler  writers.  Still  I  am  satisfied  that  much  igno- 
rance and  misconception  yet  prevails,  even  regarding  the  facts  on 
which  the  question  at  issue  between  England  and  her  West  In- 
dian colonies  depends ;  and  perchance  these  remarks  upon  it  may 
fall  into  hands  which  have  not  yet  had  access  to  other  more  ex- 
tended and  elaborate  treatises  or  statements,  and  may  induce  some, 
who  would  not  otherwise  have  done  so,  to  investigate  the  matter 
for  themselves.    At  all  events,  I  have  resolved  to  put  in  writing 


I 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


133 


rould  accele- 
9  day  of  the 
even  in  the 
even  should 
y  be  said  to 
le  system  of 
whether  the 
■j  weapon  for 
other,  more 
t  their  com- 
igns  towaids 
object  of  the 
r  they  should 


rought  me  to 

ro — never,  in 

^  the  Gulf  of 

le  first  time, 

America. 

tish  colonial 

)elled,  nay,  I 

an,  the  views 

ims,  position 

ngland.     No 

as  been  said 

larcely  to  be 

lew  view  eli- 

earness  and 

)ear  upon  it 

tmuch  igno- 

the  facts  on 

ler  West  In- 

upon  it  may 

er  more  ex- 

nduce  some, 

the  matter 

t  in  writing 


J 


my  views  of  the  present  unfortunate,  depressed  state  and  condition 
of  West  Indian  affairs,  and  of  the  remedies  that  might  be  applied 
to  them ;  and  if  the  subject  seems  too  old,  or  too  irksome,  for  the 
perusal  of  any  who  have  gone  with  me  thus  far,  I  can  only  re- 
spectfully suggest  that  they  turn  over  a  few  leaves,  and  join  me 
at  the  commencement  of  the  next  volume. 

The  pages  on  which  are  inscribed  the  part  that  England  has 
acted  in  the  suppression  of  slavery,  and  in  the  emancipation  of  the 
slave,  are  unquestionably  among  the  brightest  pages  of  her  na- 
tional history.  They  shed  a  halo  round  tht  name  of  England 
which  is  imperishable,  and  beyond  the  reach  oi  national  mutation. 
That 

"  Slaves  cannot  breathe  in  England ;  if  their  lungs 
Keceive  our  air,  that  momcut  they  are  free," 

had  become  credited,  almost  as  an  axiom,  even  before  the  famous 
decision  of  Lord  Mansfield,  pronounced  in  the  case  of  the  slave 
Somerset,  in  June,  1772.  Indeed — and  this  is  a  fact  which  is  not 
generally  known — the  same  point  as  that  tried  and  decided  in 
Somerset's  case,  had  been  brought  solemnly  before,  and  fully  dis- 
cussed in,  the  Supreme  Court  of  Scotland,  no  less  than  fifteen 
years  previously ;  and  it  is  nothing  less  than  certain,  that  a  judg- 
ment similar  in  efiect  to  that  pronounced  by  Lord  Mansfield  would 
then  have  been  given  in  Scotland,  had  the  final  decision  of  the 
case  not  been  prevented  by  the  unfortunate  death  of  the  negro, 
pending  the  discussion.  Under  date  4th  July  1757,  the  following 
case  is  reported  in  the  records  of  the  Court  of  Session.  "  Hearing 
in  presence — Robert  Sheddan  against  a  Negro.  A  Negro  who  had 
been  bought  in  Virginia,  and  brought  to  Britain  to  be  taught  a 
trade,  and  who  had  been  baptized  in  Britain,  having  claimed  his 
liberty  against  his  master,  Robert  Sheddan,  who  had  put  him 
on  board  a  ship  to  carry  him  back  to  Virginia ;  the  Lords  ap- 
pointed counsel  for  the  Negro,  and  ordered  memorials,  and  after- 
wards a  hearing  in  presence,  upon  the  respective  claims  of  liberty 
and  servitude,  by  the  mastei  and  the  negro.  But,  during  the  hear- 
ing in  presence,  the  negro  died — so  the  point  was  not  decided.'* 

But,  although  the  question  had  thus  been  previously  mooted  in 
Scotland,  the  glory  yet  remains  to  the  great  Mansfield,  of  having 
pronounced  the  decision  which  first  promulgated  the  noble  truth 
that  England  and  slavery  are  incompatible  terms — a  decision  which 
may  be  said  to  have  roused  into  active  exertion,  in  1772,  that  spirit 
which  animated  a  succession  of  men,  such  as  Clarkson,  Wilberforcc, 
Brougham,  Jeffrey,  and  Mackintosh,  and  of  which  the  Emancipa- 
tion Act  of  1834:  was  only  one  of  the  later  results.  The  circum- 
stances of  Somerset's  case  have  often  been  recorded;  but  they 
deserve  to  be  borne  in  mind,  and  they  form  a  fitting  introduction  to 

12 


11 


134 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


the  consideration  of  what  Great  Britain  has  yet  to  do,  if  she  would 
do  justice  to  all  parties  in  this  great  cause. 

Somerset  the  slave  had,  after  his  arrival  ir»  England,  become 
incapacitated  for  working.  It  was  said  that  this  was  through  the 
cruel  treatment  of  his  master ;  hut  it  seems  equally  probable  that  it 
was  through  disease.  His  condition  was  made  known  i..  Mr.  Wil- 
liam Sharpe,  then  a  surgeon  in  London,  by  whose  philanthropic  and 
skilful  services  the  poor  slave  was  healed.  His  master  finding  that 
he  was  so,  again  claimed  his  services  as  a  slave ;  but,  the  circum- 
stance coming  to  the  ears  of  Granville  Sharpe  (the  brother  of  the 
surgeon  who  had  healed  the  man,)  who  had  previously  buckled  on 
his  mental  armour  in  this  great  struggle  for  the  rights  of  man,  he 
brought  the  case  before  Lord  Mansfie'd,  who,  on  22d  June  1772, 
pronounced  the  memorable  judgment,  which  is  in  these  terms : 

"Immemorial  usage  preserves  the  memory  of  positive  law,  long 
after  the  traces  of  the  occasion,  reason,  authority,  or  time  of  its 
introduction  are  lost ;  and,  in  a  case  so  odious  as  the  condition  of 
slaves,  must  be  taken  strictly.  Tracing  the  subject  of  natural  prin- 
ciples, the  claim  of  slavery  never  can  be  supported.  The  power 
claimed  by  this  return  never  was  in  use  here.  We  cannot  say  the 
cause  set  forth  by  this  return  is  allowed  or  approved  of  by  the  laws 
of  this  kingdom ;  and  therefore  the  man  must  be  discharged.'^ 

The  spirit  of  opposition  to  slavery  as  a  system,  being  thus  awak- 
ened and  encouraged — public  attention  being  directed  to  the  matter 
— the  cause  proceeded  and  prevailed,  gathering  strength  as  it  ad- 
vanced, until,  after  repeated  defeats,  Mr.  Wilberforce,  on  the  25th 
of  March  1807,  carried  his  bill  which  pronounced  the  slave  trade 
abolished  forever,  and  the  stain  it  had  inflicted  wiped  oflF  from  the 
national  escutcheon  of  England.  Nor  should  the  fact  be  overlooked, 
when  noticing  the  subject,  that  it  was  in  the  very  same  year  that 
America  abolished  the  slave  trafl&c,  in  po  far  as  she  was  concerned, 
declaring  it  to  be  illegal  for  her  subjects  to  carry  it  on — Denmark 
having  preceded  both  England  and  America  ir  this  sacred  cause. 

But,  the  slave  trade  abolished,  another  gv'A  only  second  to  it  still 
remained.  Slavery  still  existed  in  the  British  colonial  possessions. 
The  supply  from  without  was  cut  ofl^,  and  thereby,  no  doubt,  a  great 
boon  was  conferred  on  those  slaves  already  within — inasmuch  as 
even  the  most  inhuman  master  had  now  an  inducement  to  treat  his 
slaves  with  a  kindness  he  had  never  exhibited  to  them  before — the 
same  inducement  that  the  possessor  of  a  horse  has  to  treat  him  well, 
if  he  does  not  know  how  to  replace  him  should  he  be  lost.  But  the 
nation  was  not  satisfied.  The  excitement  and  agitation  proceeded, 
led  on  by  Wilberforce  and  other  well-known  names,  and,  it  cannot 
be  denied,  aided  not  a  little  by  the  well-authenticated  cases  of  cruelty 


'i 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


135 


if  she  would 

iand,  become 
through  the 
Dbable  that  it 
I  I.  Mr.  Wil- 
mthropic  and 
r  finding  that 
;,  the  circum- 
►rother  of  the 
y  buckled  on 
ts  of  man,  he 
1  June  1772, 
3  terms : 
tive  law,  long 
)r  time  of  its 
e  condition  of 
'  natural  prin- 
.     The  power 
annot  say  the 
if  by  the  laws 
larged." 
ig  thus  awak- 
to  the  matter 
gth  as  it  ad- 
on  the  25th 
e  slave  trade 
off  from  the 
overlooked, 
,me  year  that 
,s  concerned, 
m — Denmark 
Ired  cause, 
lond  to  it  still 
A  possessions, 
oubt,  a  great 
•inasmuch  as 
it  to  treat  his 
before — the 
|cat  him  well, 
ist.     But  the 
|n  proceeded, 
,nd,  it  cannot 
Ises  of  cruelty 


perpetrated  on  slaves  by  individual,  masters  in  the  West  Indies,* 
until,  in  the  year  1833,  the  Emancipation  Act — which  put  an  end, 
not  merely  to  the  trafl&c  in  slaves,  but  to  slavery  itself,  throughout 
the  dominions  of  Great  Britain — passed  the  British  Parliament.  It 
is  a  coincidence,  in  connexion  with  the  passing  of  this  important  sta- 
tute, which  is  worthy  of  being  recorded  whenever  mention  of  the 
subject  is  made,  that,  on  the  very  night  in  which  the  Hviuse  of  Com- 
mons agreed  to,  and  passed,  the  emancipating  clause  of  the  bill,  the 
death  of  Wilberforce  took  place.  It  seemed  almost  as  if  the  spirit  of 
this  great  and  good  man  had  lingered  in  its  tenement  of  clay,  until 
it  should  be  privileged  to  see  the  triumph  of  that  cause  to  which  his 
life  had  been  devoted,  and  had  then  been  itself  emancipated  from  the 
sufferings  of  the  flesh. 

Before  and  at  the  time  the  Emancipation  Bill  was  passed,  the 
country  was  literally  inundated  with  treatises  and  pamphlets,  on  both 
sides  of  the  question ;  and  there  are  some  who  even  now  affirm,  that 
the  bill  was  carried  more  by  clamour,  than  in  consequence  of  a  gene- 
ral perception  of  the  wisdom,  justice,  and  prudence  of  the  measure. 
Be  this,  however,  as  it  may,  there  are  few  or  none  who  now  refuse 
to  admit  that  the  time  had  come  when  the  abolition  of  slavery  could 
not  much  longer  be  refused ;  and,  throughout  the  length  and  breadth 
of  the  West  Indies,  never  did  I  hear  even  the  most  complaining,  in- 
dignant, or  ruined  planter  declare  either  the  possibility  or  the  wisdom 
of  a  return  to  the  enslaved  state. 

But  let  us  consider,  in  a  few  sentences,  the  condition  in  which 
the  passing  of  the  Emancipation  Act  of  1833  placed  the  British 
colonist  in  the  West  Indies.  If,  to  the  date  of  that  act,  slavery 
had  been  a  legalized  thing  in  the  British  West  Indies,  the  sin  was 
not  simply  a  colonial,  it  was  a  national  one.  England  not  merely 
permitted,  but  compelled  the  possessors  of  colonial  estates  to  work 
their  estates  by  means  of  slave  labour.  They  had,  indeed,  no  other 
labour  to  work  them  with — but  that  is  not  all.  In  most  Df  the 
colonies,  there  was  a  law  which  required  the  maintenance  of  a  cer- 
tain proportion  between  the  extent  of  the  estate  and  the  number  of 
the  slaves  The  West  Indian  proprietor  must  either  keep  slaves 
or  give  up  his  property.  Let  this  not  be  forgotten.  But  Eng- 
land, in  1833,  said,  This  shall  cease ;  m  future,  you  (the  colonist) 
must  work  your  estates  by  free  labourers :  and  in  so  doing,  she 
said  that  which  was  as  consistent  with  wisdom,  as  it  certainly  was 
with  justice  and  mercy.  But  the  colonist  replied,  I  cannot  work 
my  estate  as  cheaply  by  means  of  free  men  as  by  means  of  slaves. 

*  It  were  foreign  to  the  object  of  this  sketch  to  dwell  on  details;  but  th3  reader 
disposed  .o  doubt  this,  or  desirous  of  farther  information,  may  consult  the  J£din- 
burnh  Eeview,  and  ni  particular  the  details  connected  with  the  trial  and  conviction 
of  Hodge  (one  of  the  counc'l  of  tlio  Virgin  Islands)  for  the  murder  of  his  slave  iii 
1811;  aud  the  trial  of  Iluggins,  for  excessive  cruelty  to  his  slaves,  &c. 


I;:i 


136 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


Now,  what  was  tuc  answer  to  this  ?  The  fact  was  denied;  but,  at 
the  same  time,  it  so  far  prevailed  that  compensation  was  given. 
Twenty  millions  sterling  were  agreed  to  be  given;  and  it  is  cer- 
tainly this  twenty  millions  that  blinds  most  persons  in  Great 
Britain  so  far  as  to  prevent  them  from  taking  even  a  fair  view  of 
the  present  claims  and  position  of  the  West  Indian  planter. 
Twenty  millions  were  voted,  and  it  was  a  handsome  sum.  There 
is  no  wish  to  deny  that  it  was  so ;  and  I  certainly  am  not  one  of 
those  who  would  disparage  this  munificent  act  on  England's  part 
— an  act  which  places  her  conduct  in  bright  relief  against  the  con- 
duct of  other  countries,  which  have  either  refused  their  colonists 
compensation  altogether,  or  have  given  a  mere  pittance  in  seeming 
compliance  with  the  claim.  But  truth  should  be  heard.  What 
was  this  compensation  for  ?  Why  was  it  fixed  at  twenty  millions  ? 
It  was  given  in  consideration  of  the  additional  expense  to  be  en- 
tailed on  the  planter  from .  being  compelled  to  hire  labourers  to 
work  his  fields  and  manufactories,  instead  of  cultivating  the  one 
and  carrying  on  the  other  by  means  of  slaves — in  consideration, 
in  short,  of  the  mother  country  having  tied  him  up  to  one  mode  of 
culture,  while  he  previously  had  an  option  of  two.  And  it  wab 
fixed  at  twenty  millions  sterling,  not  because  it  was  for  a  moment 
supposed  that  that  sum  would  fairly  represent  the  value  of  the 
slaves  to  be  liberated,  much  less  of  the  estates  and  works  on  and 
in  which  they  were  employed — but  because  it  was,  at  the  time, 
thought,  that  the  injury  would  only  bo  a  temporary  one,  and  that, 
as  the  planters  would  all  he  on  the  same  footing^  the  result,  in  a  few 
years,  would  be  to  make  the  profit  from  working  sugar,  coffee,  and 
cotton  estates,  by  free  labour,  as  great  as  it  had  been  during  the 
time  when  Britain  countenanced  slavery.  The  soundness  of  this 
view  may  be  maintained  from  the  terms  of  the  Emancipation  Act 
itself.  In  the  rubric  these  words  occur,  "  For  compensating  the 
persons  hitherto  entitled  to  the  services  of  such  slaves."  In  the 
preamble,  it  is  said  that  a  reasonable  compensation  should  be  given 
"  to  the  persons  hitherto  entitled  to  the  services  of  the  slaves,  for 
the  loss  which  they  may  incur  by  being  deprived  of  such  services." 
And  by  section  twenty-fourth,  the  twenty  millions  are  granted 
"  towards  compensating  the  persons  hitherto  entitled  to  the  services 
of  the  slaves  to  be  manumitted."  Indeed,  the  statistics  of  the 
matter  prove  that  this  was  the  principle  of  the  calculation.  The 
value  of  the  whole  slaves  in  the  British  West  Indian  colonies  was, 
by  the  Government  commissioners,  estimated  and  taken  to  be 
forty-three  millions  sterling ;  while  the  value  of  the  estates,  works, 
and  machinery  in  and  on  which  they  were  employed,  was  nearly 
twice  that  sum — making  a  formidable  total  of  nearly  one  hundred 
and  twenty-nine  millions  sterling.     It  is  therefore  out  of  the  ques- 


I 


i 


tion 

be 

pos( 

int 

nati 

him 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


137 


nied;  but,  at 

n  was  given. 

and  it  is  cer- 

)ns  in  Great 

a  fair  view  of 

dian   planter. 

sum.     There 

m  not  one  of 

ngland's  part 

ainst  the  con- 

iheii'  colonists 

ee  in  seeming 

leard.     What 

nty  millions  ? 

3nse  to  be  en- 

I  labourers  to 

iting  the  one 

consideration, 

3  one  mode  of 

And  it  wab 

for  a  moment 

value  of  the 

works  on  and 

,  at  the  time, 

nc,  and  that, 

ssult,  in  a  few 

ir,  coffee,  and 

in  during  the 

dness  of  this 

icipation  Act 

)ensating  the 

es."     In  the 

ould  be  given 

le  slaves,  for 

ch  services." 

are  granted 

the  services 

istics  of  the 

ation.     The 

olonies  was, 

taken  to  be 

tates,  works, 

was  nearly 

one  hundred 

of  the  ques- 


tion to  talk  of  the  twenty  millions  as  being  voted  or  intended  to 
be  given  as  representing  anything  more  than  the  amount  of  sup- 
posed temporary  loss  the  planter  might  sustain  through  the  change 
in  the  condition  of  the  labourer,  and  the  consequent  change  in  tho 
nature  of  the  relationship  subsisting  between  that  labourer  and 
himself.  Still  the  sum  was  a  handsome  one  ;  and,  if  even  the  dis- 
appointed West  Indian  will  fairly  face  the  subject,  he  must  admit 
that,  at  the  time,  and  with  the  information  which  existed  at  the 
time,  (whereby  a  glimpse  into  the  probable  consequences  might 
have  been  obtained,)  it  was  a  munificent  act  of  national  justice,  or 
at  least  intended  to  be  so.  Indeed,  had  means  been  adopted  for 
gradually  procuring  a  sufficiency  of  free  labourers — and  had  the 
measure  of  emancipation  been  left  to  itself  and  to  worh  out  only  its 
own  effects,  unaided  and  uninjured  by  subsequent  legislation  of  a  dif- 
ferent and  of  a  backward  tendency — the  amounC  given  would  have 
been  found  to  have  been  a  reasonable,  if  not  a  fidl,  compensation. 
In  short,  the  transaction  was  this — and  no  reasonable  man,  either 
on  the  one  side  or  the  other,  will  deny  that  it  was  so :  Britain  said 
to  her  colonists. — "  We  have  both  been  to  blame — I  in  permitting, 
and  even  in  legalizing  slavery  in  my  possessions ;  you,  in  taking 
advantage  of  that  permission,  to  engage  and  continue  in  a  traffic 
and  trade  which  violates  one  of  the  first  rights  and  principles  of 
humanity.  But  a  change  of  system  is  an  experiment,  although  a 
ju  ,1  nd  a  necessary  one,  and  it  will  probably,  if  not  certainly,  be 
attended  at  first  with  loss.  Now  you,  the  colonist,  ought  to  bear 
most  of  that  loss,  inasmuch  as  you  have  been  actually  engaged  in 
the  trade,  and  you  or  your  predecessors  on  the  estates  have  reaped 
such  profit  as  has  been  derived  from  this  objectionable  and  sinful 
mode  of  working  your  estates.  Looking  therefore  to  the  whole 
matter — tota  re  perspecta — I  will  compound  my  share  of  the  de- 
linquency by  giving  you  the  handsome  sum  of  twenty  millions 
sterling,  besides  aiding  you  to  get  free  labourers  for  your  estates, 
and  any  further  loss  arising  from  the  natural  effects  of  the  measure 
must  be  borne  by  yourselves."  Here  then  lies  the  whole  question, 
and  in  my  humble  opinion  here  lies  the  strength  and  justice  of  the 
claims  of  the  British  colonist.  For,  be  it  observed,  the  Emanci- 
pation Act  was  not  an  isolated  measure ;  it  formed  part  of  a  great 
whole.  In  1807  Great  Britain  had  abolished  the  traffic  in  slaves 
by  her  own  subjects.  In  1817,  she  had  entered  into  a  treaty  with 
Spain  for  the  abolition  of  the  slave  trade  by  the  subjects  of  his 
Catholic  Majesty,  paying  the  latter  £400,000  as  the  price  of  his 
assent.  In  1820,  she  had  entered  into  a  similar  treaty  with  the 
Emperor  of  Brazil,  whereby  the  latter  renewed,  recognized,  and 
adopted  the  treaties  that  had  previously  been  entered  into,  and 
were  then  subsisting  between  Great  Britain  and  Portugal,  for  the 

12* 


138 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


"•'•  ''I 


entire  suppression  of  the  slave  trade.  And  now,  in  1833,  she  de- 
clared her  resolution  to  pay  £20,000,000  to  her  own  subjects,  for 
the  emancipation  of  the  slaves  in  her  own  colonial  possessions.  In 
all  this,  the  spirit  which  animated  the  counsels  of  England,  and 
impelled  her  to  these  successive  acts,  was  an  intense,  and  seem- 
ingly a  growing,  permanent  dislike  to  slavery  in  every  shape  and 
form,  and  a  resolution  to  discount  3nance  it  in  every  possible  way, 
even  though  the  doing  so  involved  pecuniary  sacrifice  and  consider- 
able loss.  Such  were  undoubtedly  the  circumstances  under  which 
the  Emanc:patiou  Bill — a  bill  the  preamble  of  which  indicated, 
that  it  was  intended  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  planter  as 
well  as  of  the  slave — was  carried.  No  one  who  remembers  the  ex- 
citement that  prevailed  in  Great  Britain,  and  the  numerous  public 
meetings  held  in  almost  every  city,  town,  village^  hamlet,  and  in- 
stitution, in  every  part  of  the  country,  to  strengthen  the  hands  of 
the  Emancipationists,  will  be  disposed  to  deny  that  the  facts  were 
as  I  have  stated  them. 

Now,  such  being  the  circumstances  attending  the  passing  of  the 
emancipation  statute,  were  or  were  not  the  West  Indian  planters  en- 
titled to  regard  it  as  part  of  their  compensation  or  protection  against 
loss,  that  they  would  never  have,  in  the  home  market  at  least,  to 
compete  with  produce  grown  and  manufactured  by  slaves  ?  I  con- 
fess I  think  they  were.  I  am  aware  that  there  are  those  who  deny 
this,  maintaining  that,  as  no  Government  is  entitled  to  bind  its  suc- 
cessor, so  no  party  treating  with  a  Government  is  entitled  to  rely  on 
its  successor  following  out  the  same  line  of  policy.  But  this  is  surely 
a  very  latitudinarian  view  of  state  morality.  Suppose  that  the  Go- 
vernment of  the  day  had  only  paid  one-fourth  or  one-half  of  the 
compensation-money,  and  that  the  Government  that  succeeded  it, 
while  it  adhered  to  the  statute  as  a  law,  yet  refused  to  make  payment 
of  the  remainder  of  the  sum  due, — would  any  one  have  attempted  to 
justify  such  a  course  ?  And  if  not,  what  is  the  diflference  between 
refusing  a  part  of  the  promised  vnoney  compensation,  and  a  part  of 
the  implied  protective  compensation  ?  Moreover,  whatever  view  the 
greatest  advocate  for  the  principle  that  one  Government  cannot  bind 
a  succeeding  one,  may  take  of  this  matter,  he  will  not  surely  deny 
that  it  is  a  most  extraordinary  position  of  matters,  when  we  see  a 
Government  professing  to  approve  of  the  general  policy  of  their  pre- 
decessors in  oflfice;  and  yet  going  back  from  that  same  policy  and  act- 
ing in  opposition  to  it  in  part.  Nothing  surely  could  be  further  from 
the  thought  of  the  most  desponding  West  Indian  planter  than  the 
idea  that,  while  England  voted  so  large  a  sum  in  1833  towards  put- 
ting an  end  to  slavery  in  her  own  colonies,  she  would,  in  1846,  pass 
an  act  which  would  have  the  direct  eifect  of  encouraging  and  increas- 
ing slavery  in  the  possessions  of  other  countries.    And  yet  that  such 


wa 

181 
evj 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


139 


I  1833,  she  de- 
u  subjects,  for 
ossessions.    In 

England,  and 
nse,  and  seem- 
rery  shape  and 
r  possible  way, 
e  and  consider- 
3S  under  which 
lich  indicated, 

the  planter  as 
lembers  the  ex- 
imerous  public 
lamlet,  and  in- 
sn  the  hands  of 
i  the  facts  were 

passing  of  the 
ian  planters  en- 
otcction  against 
ket  at  least,  to 
slaves  ?    I  con- 
ihose  who  deny 
to  bind  its  sue- 
itled  to  rely  on 
lit  this  is  surely 
}e  that  the  Go- 
me-half of  the 
succeeded  it, 
make  payment 
e  attempted  to 
rence  between 
and  a  part  of 
Itever  view  the 
t  cannot  bind 
surely  deny 
hen  we  see  a 
of  their  pre- 
olicy  and  act- 
further  from 
ter  than  the 
towards  put- 
in  1846,  pass 
and  increas- 
I  yet  that  such 


was  the  tendency,  and  that  such  has  been  the  effect  of  the  act  of 
1846,  I  will  immediately  show  by  the  most  conclusive  of  all 
evidence. 

Before,  however,  leaving  the  subject  of  the  twenty  millions,  and 
although  the  circumstance  does  not  enter  into  the  general  argument, 
it  may,  for  the  sake  of  accuracy,  and  to  prevent  cavil,  be  proper  to 
notice  the  fact,  that,  while  the  twenty  millions  were  voted,  the  whole 
of  that  sum  was  not  paid.  The  sum  actually  awarded  was  £18,669,- 
401  10s.  Id. ;  while,  even  of  this  last-mentioned  sum,  the  West 
Indian  colonists  only  received  £16,461,000.  These  facts  do  not 
enter  into  the  principle  of  my  argument,  although  they  tend  to  show 
still  further  that  full  compensation  never  was  contemplated.  But 
as  there  is  a  very  general  tendency  to  throw  this  twenty  millions  in 
the  teeth  of  our  West  Indian  friends,  and  many  still  believe  that  sum 
to  have  been  actually  paid,  it  is  but  right  that  the  misconception 
should  be  removed  by  a  statement  of  the  truth.  The  argument, 
however,  is  independent  of  this  fact.  Who  could  have  thought  that 
England  would  tax  herself  to  the  extent  of  some  £800,000  per 
annum  to  prevent  her  own  colonists  supplying  her  with  cheap  sugar 
by  means  of  slave  labour,  and  yet  that,  in  a  few  years  later,  she 
would  pass  an  act  which  admitted  slave-grown  sugar  the  produce  of 
foreign  possessions  ?  That  there  was  a  distinct  bargain  or  contract 
between  the  colonists  and  the  mother  country,  to  the  effect  that  slave- 
grown  sugar  never  was  to  be  admitted  into  the  markets  of  this  country 
to  compete  on  equal  terms  with  British  colonial  free-grown  sugar, 
and  that  the  fact  that  they  were  to  be  protected  against  the  competi- 
tion of  slaveholders  was  an  argument  used  to  make  our  colonists  con- 
tented with  the  Emancipation  Act,  I  am  ready  to  prove — ready  to 
prove  it  by  a  mass  of  testimony,  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  most 
incredulous  jury  that  ever  were  impannelled  in  a  jury-box.  Nay, 
more,  I  am  ready  to  show  that  British  Ministers  have  again  and 
again  admitted  that  such  was  the  fact ;  that  Lord  Stanley,  when,  by 
mistake,  he  had  used  the  words  "  slave-grown"  for  "  foreign-grown," 
when  speaking  of  a  differential  duty  between  foreign  and  British  colo- 
nial sugar,  and  when  the  mistake  was  noticed,  replied  by  admitting 
the  mistake,  adding  that  every  one  must  have  seei  that  it  was  a  mis- 
take, inasmuch  as  no  one  could  ever  think  that  Britain  would  admit 
slave-grown  sugar  into  her  markets,  after  her  costly  sacrifice  to  pre- 
vent sugar  being  made  in  her  own  colonies  by  means  of  slave  labour. 
And  Lord  Glenelg,  at  a  later  date,  made  a  well-known  statement  to 
the  effect  that  they  who  were  so  foolish  as  to  believe  that  Parliament 
would  break  its  faith  with  the  planters  of  the  West  Indies,  by  ad- 
mitting slave-grown  sugar  into  equal  competition  with  that  produced 
by  them,  displayed,  by  so  believing,  an  "  incapacity  for  conducting 
the  ordinary  afiairs  of  life  and  business.'' 


140 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


Uut  apart  from  the  question  of  contract,  which  is  one  of  evidence, 
there  is  the  natural,  the  necessary  conclusion  to  be  drawn — the  con- 
clusion which  no  one  could  avoid  drawing — from  the  act  itself.  If 
at  such  cost  England  tied  the  hands  of  her  own  colonists  as  to  the 
kind  of  labour  by  which  they  should  make  sugar,  would  any  sane 
person  have  believed  that  she  would  buy  her  sugar  from  foreigners 
who  made  it  in  the  very  way  she  had  so  seriously  and  emphatically 
objected  to  and  protested  against  ?  The  idea  could  not  have  been 
entertained  for  a  moment. 

I  maintain  J  then,  that  part  of  the  compensation  to  he  given  the 
British  colonists  was,  protection  from  competition  with  the  slaveholder 
of  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  and  Brazil;  end  that  the  same  principle  of 
justice  was  violated  by  depriving  him  of  this,  as  would  have  been  vio- 
lated in  depriiing  him  of  a  portion  of  the  £20,000,000  which  was 
the  comjyensation  in  money. 

Another  subject  of  complaint,  on  the  part  of  the  West  Indian 
colonist,  against  the  conduct  of  the  mother  country,  has  reference  to 
the  abolition  of  the  apprenticeship  system  in  1838.  It  was,  say 
they,  our  bargain  that  we  should  have  our  full  share  of  the 
£20,000,000  in  money,  the  home  market  for  our  free-grown  sugar, 
and  an  apprenticeship  of  seven  years.  But  the  mother  country 
broke  the  bargain  as  to  the  last,  by  putting  an  end  to  the  appren- 
ticeship three  years  before  the  legal  term  of  its  expiry.  There  is 
much  truth  in  this  complaint,  and  I  know  of  individual  cases  of 
great  hardship  which  occurred  in  connexion  with  it.  In  particular, 
I  know  of  a  gentleman  of  British  Guiana  who  was  thereby  utterly 
and  unexpectedly  stripped  of  the  great  bulk  of  a  very  handsome  for- 
tune. But  still,  with  better  arguments  at  my  disposal,  I  am  not 
inclined  to  press  this  one.  There  is  an  answer  to  it,  which,  if  it 
does  not  meet  the  complaint,  at  least  complicates  the  case.  The 
planters  of  Antigua,  from  causes  peculiar  to  that  metropolitan  island, 
declined  the  apprenticeship ;  and  this  fact,  combined  with  authen- 
ticated cases  in  which  the  apprenticeship  was  abused,  gave  the 
Government  of  the  country  at  least  a  plausible  excuse  for  bringing 
the  apprenticeship  system  to  a  summary  termination. 

Before  leaving  the  subject  of  the  price  paid  by  England  in  token 
of  her  horror  of  slavery,  and  her  resolution  to  put  down  production 
by  means  of  slave  labour,  it  is  proper  to  refer  to  the  annual  cost  of 
the  squadron,  and  of  the  mixed  conlmission,  to  prevent  the  slave 
trade  from  being  carried  on  by  the  subjects  of  Spain  and  of  Brazil. 
Enough  has  been  sa  d  on  this  subject  in  a  former  part  of  this  book; 
but  the  argument  would  not  be  complete  were  this  part  of  the  price 
paid  by  us,  in  the  cause  of  humanity,  to  be  kept  out  of  view. 

And  now,  to  what  end  has  all  this  anti-slavery  policy  been  gone 
back  upon,  if  not  stultified,  by  the  legislation  of  1846  and  subse- 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


141 


le  of  evidence, 
awn — the  con- 
act  itself.  If 
lists  as  to  the 
'ould  any  sane 
rom  foreigners 
d  emphatically 
not  have  been 

)  be  given  the 
the  slaveholder 
le  principle  of 
'  have  been  vio- 
000  which  was 

e  West  Indian 

las  reference  to 

.     It  was,  say 

share   of  the 

3e-grown  sugar, 

Qother  country 

to  the  appren- 

►iry.     There  is 

ridual  cases  of 

In  particular, 

hereby  utterly 

handsome  for- 

)Osal,  I  am  not 

it,  which,  if  it 

e  case.     The 

politan  island, 

with  authen- 

[sed,  gave  the 

for  bringing 

|;land  in  token 

m  production 

Innual  cost  of 

3nt  the  slave 

Ind  of  Brazil. 

)f  this  book; 

of  the  price 

view. 

been  gone 

and  Bubsc- 


! 


quent  thereto  ?  That  it  has  been  so — that  the  act  of  1846,  altered, 
amended  and  extended  as  it  was  by  the  act  of  1848,  has  operated  as 
a  direct  encouragement  to  slavery  and  to  the  slave  trade,  and  inflict- 
ed a  heavy  blow  upon  our  own  free  colonies,  already  nearly  prostra- 
ted— J8  now  conceded  by  almost  every  one  who  has  visited  the  West 
Indies.  But  lest  there  should  be  any  who  would  desire  some  proof 
on  the  subject,  let  me  briefly  record  a  few  of  the  leading  facts. 

Of  the  value  of  the  slave  trade — of  the  permission  and  means  to 
cultivate  their  estates  by  slave  labour,  to  the  inhabitants  of  tho 
island  of  Cuba — some  graphic  idea  may  be  obtained  from  reflecting 
on  the  fact  stated  by  Lord  Castlereagh,  when  delivering,  in  the 
British  House  of  Commons,  his  speech  upon  the  bill  for  concluding 
with  Spain  the  treaty  of  1817  for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade, 
(by  which  treaty  Great  Briton  covenanted  to  pay  Spain  £400,000 
as  the  price  of  her  assent  His  Lordship  mentions  a  well-known 
fact — viz.  that  the  merchuuts  of  Havanna  had  offered  the  Spanish 
Government  many  times  the  amount  of  the  payment  to  have  nothing 
to  do  with  the  treaty.  "  So  far,"  says  Lord  Castlereagh,  "  from  our 
money  being  the  only  motive  which  Spain  has  for  acceding  to  this 
treaty,  the  Spanish  merchants  at  Havanna  had  ofiiered  five  times  the 
amount  (two  millions  sterling,)  for  the  privilege  of  continuing  tho 
slave  trade !"  It  is  a  somewhat  humbling  commentary  on  this  state- 
ment of  Lord  Castlereagh,  and  oi^  our  own  capacity,  as  a  nation,  to 
trade,  to  know  that,  although  our  French  neighbours  call  us  a  nation 
of  shopkeepers,  we  have  allowed  ourselves  to  be  so  far  overreached 
in  this  bargain,  that  Spain  has  got  the  mor.ey  from  both.  Tho 
£400,000  she  got  in  cash  from  lavish  England;  the  £2,000,000  she 
has  got  from  Cuba,  chiefly  by  the  tax  of  fifty  dollars  a-head  on  all 
slaves  imported  into  it,  in  direct  evasion  of  tlie  aforesaid  slave  treaty. 
As  above  mentioned,  Cuba  has  been  somewhere  called  the  milch-cow 
of  Spain ;  and  well  does  she  merit  the  appellation,  yielding,  as  sho 
docs,  not  less  than  fifty  millions  of  reals,  or  about  half  a  million 
sterling,  of  direct  annual  revenue  to  the  Spanish  crown.  That  it  is 
her  slave  trade,  and  her  consequent  ability  to  cultivate  her  fields 
with  slave  labour,  that  enables  her  to  yield  this  large  amount  from 
taxation,  is  abi;ndantly  well  known  to  all  who  have  made  the  sub- 
ject their  study  No  doubt  Cuba  is  favoured  as  a  place  of  produc- 
tion by  the  great  fertility  of  her  soil,  its  adaptation  for  the  growth 
of  tobacco  as  well  as  of  sugar,  and  also  by  many  other  circumstances ; 
but  the  cheapness  and  other  advantages  of  her  slave  labour,  consti- 
tute undoubtedly  the  main  reason  why  she  is  able  so  to  undersell 
the  British  West  Indian  colonist. 

That  the  effect  of  the  Sugar  Act  of  1846  was  to  give  an  in- 
creased impetus  to  the  slave  trade,  and  to  advance  tho  prosperity 
of  the  slave- owner  of  Spain  and  Brazil,  has  often  been  shown 


142 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


iStf't 


The  statement  has  indeed  been  denied,  and  attention  has,  in  the 
way  of  answer,  been  directed  to  the  fact  that,  in  1846,  before  the 
act  passed  the  British  legislature,  or  at  least  before  intelligence 
of  its  having  passed  could  have  reached  Brazil,  or  the  colonies  of 
Spain,  the  slave  trade  was  in  active  and  increased  operation.  But 
this  is  a  mere  evasion  of  the  argument.  If  the  general  rumour, 
that  such  an  act  was  in  preparation,  and  likely  to  be  carried,  was 
not  sufl&cient  to  account  for  such  activity  by  anticipation,  as  I 
think  it  was,  there  remains  the  well  known  fact,  that  after  the 
news  of  the  act  having  passed  reached  Cuba,  land  in  that  island 
rose  in  value  full  thirty  per  cent.,  and  that,  in  the  summer  of  1847, 
the  demand  for  slaves  was  greater  than  the  slavers  could  supply. 
While,  of  the  effect  of  the  passing  of  the  act  on  the  trade  in  slaves, 
it  is  ascertained  that  while  in  1834  and  1835  the  trade  was  nearly 
extinct,  at  least  in  Cuba,  in  184G  the  number  of  slaves  imported 
was  sixty-four  thousand,  and  in  1847  sixty-three  thousand. 

It  is  no  doubt  true,  that  the  diminished  number  of  the  slaves 
imported  into  Cuba  in  the  years  first  above  mentioned,  (1834  and 
1835,)  was  in  some  measure  owing  to  the  better  faith  kept,  at  that 
time,  with  the  British  Government  by  the  Spanish  authorities  at 
Madrid,  and  their  colonial  representative,  General  Valdez,  the  then 
Captain-general  of  the  island  of  Cuba.  But  still,  the  coincidence 
between  the  passing  of  the  act  of  1846  and  the  vast  increase  in 
the  activity  of  the  slave  trade,  coupled  with  the  acknowledged  im- 
provement which,  at  the  same  time,  developed  itself  in  the  sugar 
cultivation  in  this  island,  is  pregnant  with  evidence  of  the  most 
important  character.  It  is  a  favourite  argument  with  those  who 
are  disposed  to  defend  the  legislation  which  has,  of  late  years,  so 
injuriously  affected  the  interests  of  the  British  West  Indian  plant- 
ers, that  their  necessities  will  compel  these  gentlemen  to  more  eco- 
nomical management,  and  to  the  adoption  of  modern  improve- 
ments on  cane  cultivation  and  in  sugar  making.  No  doubt  it  is  a 
truism  that  what  a  man  has  not,  he  cannot,  of  his  own,  spend, 
either  in  lavish  management  or  otherwise.  But  without  here  going 
further  into  the  general  argument,  or  doing  more  than  affirming 
that  the  British  colonial  planters  have  retrenched  their  expenses 
of  management  in  every  possible  way,  (pared  them  down  to  one 
half  of  what  they  formerly  were,)  and  also  that  they  have  been 
most  liberal  in  their  introduction  of  steam-engines,  improved 
ploughs,  and  patent  pans,  et  hoc  genus  omne,  it  may  be  here  asked, 
whether  this  fact — that  it  was  an  increase  in  the  demand,  aud  in 
their  profits,  and  not  a  falling  off,  that  induced  the  planters  of 
Cuba  and  of  Porto  llico  to  improve  their  estates  and  sugar-works 
— does  not  practically  irUitate  against  the  above  application  of  the 
theory  of  "  necessity  the  mother  of  invention.'* 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


143 


m  has,  in  tlio 
16,  before  the 
3  intelligence 
be  colonies  of 
eration.  But 
leral  rumour, 
3  carried,  was 
lipation,  as  I 
hat  after  the 
n  that  island 
amer  of  1847, 
could  supply, 
'ade  in  slaves, 
de  was  nearly 
ives  imported 
usand. 

of  the  slaves 
;d,  (1834  and 
I  kept,  at  that 
authorities  at 
Idez,  the  then 
le  coincidence 
3t  increase  in 
lowledged  im- 
in  the  sugar 
of  the  most 
th  those  who 
ate  years,  so 
Indian  plant- 
i  to  more  eco- 
ern  improve- 
doubt  it  is  a 
own,  spend, 
ut  here  going 
han  affirming 
heir  expenses 
down  to  one 
ey  have  been 
es,    improved 
■e  here  asked, 
nand,  aud  in 
planters  of 
1  sugar-works 
ication  of  the 


But  while  such  was  the  effect  of  the  Sugar  Duties  Bill  of  1846, 
and  subsequent  legislation  of  1848,  in  enhancing  the  value  of  pro- 
perty in  slaveholding  and  sugar-producing  countries,  and  in  increas- 
ing the  activity  of  the  slave  trade,  what  has  been  their  effects  on  the 
■  property  of  our  own  colonists  in  the  West  Indies  ?  That  is  a  matter 
1  of  too  great  notoriety  to  justify  or  require  lengthened  statement  or 
illustration.  That  the  British  West  Indian  colonists  have  been 
loudly  complaining  that  they  are  ruined,  is  a  fact  so  gene-ally  acknow- 
ledged, that  the  very  loudness  and  frequency  of  the  complaint  has 
been  made  a  reason  for  disregarding  or  undervaluing  the  grounds  of 
it.  That  the  West  Indians  are  always  grumbling  is  an  observation 
often  heard  j  and,  no  doubt,  it  is  very  true  that  they  are  so.  But 
let  any  one  who  thinks  that  the  extent  and  clamour  of  the  complaint 
exceeds  the  magnitude  of  the  distress  which  has  called  it  forth,  go 
to  the  West  Indies,  and  judge  for  himself.  Let  him  see  with  his 
own  eyes  the  neglected  and  abandoned  estates — the  uncultivated 
fields  fast  hurrying  back  into  a  state  of  nature,  with  all  the  speed  of 
tropical  luxuriance — the  dismantled  and  silent  machinery,  the  crum- 
bling walls  and  deserted  mansions,  which  are  familiar  sights  in  most 
of  the  British  West  Indian  colonies.  Let  him  then  transport  him- 
self to  the  Spanish  Islands  of  Porto  Rico  and  Cuba,  and  witness  the 
life  and  activity  which  in  these  slave  colonies  prevail.  Let  him 
observe  for  himself  the  activity  of  the  slavers — the  improvements 
daily  making  in  the  cultivation  of  the  helds,  and  in  the  processes 
carried  on  at  the  Ingenios  or  sugar-mills,  and  the  general  indescrib- 
able air  of  thriving  and  prosperity  which  surrounds  the  whole — and 
then  let  him  come  back  to  England  and  say,  if  he  honestly  can,  that 
the  British  West  Indian  planters  and  proprietors  are  grumblers  who 
complain  without  adequate  cause. 

Take  Jamaica,  the  chief  of  the  British  islands,  as  a  sample  of  the 
present  condition  of  the  British  possessions  in  these  seas,  and  ex  uno 
dlsce  omnes.  It  appears  from  the  report  of  the  committee  of  the 
House  of  Assembly  in  that  island,  appointed  in  1847  to  inquire  into 
the  cause  and  extent  of  the  agricultural  distress,  that,  of  the  653 
sugar  estates  in  cultivation  in  Jamaica  in  the  year  1834,  (the  year 
of  emancipation)  only  503  were  cultivated  in  1847,  the  remaining 
150  estates,  containing  168,032  acres  of  land,  and  employing  upwards 
of  23,000  labourers,  having  been  abandoned.  This  was  in  1847  : 
the  downward  'endency  has  certainly  not  been  checked  since  then — 
matters  are  now  a  great  deal  worse  than  they  were  in  1847  as  regards 
the  growth  of  the  sugar-cane  in  Jamaica.  Were  we  to  take  into 
view  the  coffee  cultivation,  the  detail  would  be  still  more  distressing. 
To  the  one  fact  above  stated  a  thousand  might  be  added,  and  all  to 
the  same  disheartening  effect  j  but  the  one  fact  will  be  easiest  remem- 
bered, and  it  speaks  volumes.    The  same  observation  as  to  the  deser- 


144 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


, ) 


tion  of  estates  may  be  made  with  regard  to  all  the  other  colcnics, 
(Barbadoes  alone  excepted,)  though  not  to  the  same  extent  or  in  the 
same  proportion.  In  particular,  British  Guiana  has  suffered  much 
from  the  abandonment  of  estates ;  and  even  while  I  write,  I  have 
before  me  ^supplied  me  by  the  kindness  of  an  intelligent  friend  in 
that  colony)  a  list  of  fifty-six  cotton,  coffee,  but  chiefly  sugar  estates, 
deserted  and  abandoned  in  that  productive  and  vast  possession  of  late 
years,  because  wholly  unprofitable.  Indeed,  this  colony  has  suffered 
very  severely  and  peculiarly  from  this  cause ;  which  arises  no  doubt 
from  the  great  extent  of  territory  embraced  within  its  limits,  and 
the  paucity  of  the  negro  population  wherewith  to  carry  on  the 
cultivation. 

No  doubt,  it  has  been  said  that  much  of  the  unprofitable  results 
of  sugar  cultivation  in  the  British  West  Indies  is  due  to  the  profuse 
habits  of  the  planters  and  proprietors,  and  the  expensive  system  of 
agriculture  and  manufacture  which  they  pursued ;  and  it  has  been 
further  said,  that  if  they  introduced  machinery — steam-engines,  and 
patent  processes  for  preparing  their  sugar — they  would  so  cheapen 
the  prod  actions  as  at  once  to  put  themselves  in  a  position  success- 
fully to  compete  with  the  slaveholder.  In  so  far  as  this  charge  of 
profuse  management  applies  to  sugar  cultivation  in  the  British  West 
Indies,  up  to  the  passing  of  the  Emancipation  Act,  or  even  for  some 
time  subsequent  thereto,  I  might,  as  the  result  of  my  inquiries  into 
the  past  condition  of  the  colonies,  be  prepared  to  admit  that  there 
was  some  truth  in  it.  Large  profits  will  generally,  and  in  all  coun- 
tries, lead  to  undue  profusion  both  of  living  and  of  management; 
and  it  were  idle  to  deny  that,  for  many  years,  the  profits  from  West 
Indian  cultivation  were  great — were  occasionally  very  great  when 
compared  with  the  remuneration  from  other  sources  of  investment. 
So  late  even  as  the  year  1846,  the  British  colonists  were  getting  in 
the  markets  of  this  country  so  high  a  price  for  their  sugar  as  from 
£38  to  £40  for  a  hogshead,  weighing  from  seventeen  or  eighteen 
hundredweight;  and,  when  it  is  kept  in  view  that  an  acre  of  planted 
canes  would  produce  two-and-a-half  or  three  of  such  hogsheads; 
and  that,  excessively  various  as  certainly  are  the  estimates  of  the 
cost  of  sugar-making  in  the  different  colonies,  or  even  on  different 
estates  in  the  same  colony,  few  would  (stimate  that  expense  in  1846 
at  more  than  from  18s.  to  20s.  a  hundredweight,  exclusive  of  freight 
and  shipping  charges,  it  cannot  be  denied,  even  by  the  colonist  of 
most  extravagant  hopes,  that  the  above-stated  remuneration  was  at 
a  very  handsome  rate.  This  extreme  remuneration,  however,  was 
only  for  a  short  time,  and  in  very  peculiar  circumstances. 

But  if  the  charge  of  profusion  of  living,  expensiveness  of  manage- 
ment, or  neglect  of  modern  improvements,  is  intended  to  apply  to 
to  the  state  of  all  or  of  any  of  the  islands  of  Barbadoes,  Antigua,  St. 


Kitt' 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


145 


Dthcr  colonios, 

ctcnt  or  in  the 

mffered  much 

write,  I  have 

;ent  friend  in 

sugar  estates, 

ssession  of  late 

\y  has  suffered 

rises  no  doubt 

its  limits,  and 

carry  on  the 

fitable  results 

to  the  profuse 

sive  system  of 

d  it  has  been 

a-engines,  and 

Id  so  cheapen 

sition  success- 

this  charge  of 

British  West 

even  for  some 

inquiries  into 

ait  that  there 

d  in  all  coun- 

management ; 

ts  from  Weat 

jT  great  when 

f  investment. 

ire  getting  in 

ugar  as  from 

or  eighteen 

re  of  planted 

hogsheads; 

mates  of  the 

on  different 

lense  in  1846 

ive  of  freight 

e  colonist  of 

'ation  was  at 

lowever,  was 

)S. 

s  of  manage- 
to  apply  to 
Antigua,  St. 


Kitt's,  Nevis,  Montscrrat,  or  Jamaica,  in  the  year  1849, 1  give  it  ad- 
visedly and  deliberately  the  most  emphatic,  decided,  and  unqualified 
contradiction.  As  regards  improvements  in  modes  of  cultivation, 
and  the  introduction  of  steam-engines  and  other  machinery,  the  won- 
der only  is,  that,  with  such  a  backgoing  trade,  the  West  Indian  plan- 
ters have  had  the  courage  so  to  lay  out  their  own  funds  or  come 
under  obligations  to  others.  Hope,  however,  delights  to  brighten 
the  prospects  of  the  future  j  and  thus  it  is  that  the  British  West  In- 
dian planter  goes  on  from  year  to  year,  struggling  against  his  down- 
ward progress,  and  still  hoping  that  something  may  yet  turn  up,  to 
retrieve  his  ruined  fortunes.  But  all  do  not  struggle  on.  Many 
have  given  in,  and  many  more  can  and  will  confirm  the  statement  of 
a  venerable  friend  of  my  own — a  gentleman  high  in  office  in  one  of 
the  islands  above-mentioned — who,  when  showing  me  his  own  estate 
and  sugar-works,  assured  me,  that  for  above  a  quarter  of  a  century 
they  had  yielded  him  nearly  £2000  per  annum  j  and  that  now,  de- 
spite all  his  efforts  and  improvements,  (which  were  many,)  he  could 
scarcely  manage  to  make  the  cultivation  pay  itself.  Instances  of  this 
kind  might  be  multiplied  till  the  reader  was  tired,  and  even  heart- 
sick, of  such  details.  But  what  need  of  such  ?  Is  it  not  notorious  ? 
Has  it  not  been  proved  by  the  numerous  failures  that  have  taken 
place  of  late  ^  ears,  among  our  most  extensive  West  Indian  merchants  ? 
Are  not  the  reports  of  almost  all  the  governors  of  our  colonial  posses- 
sions filled  with  statements  to  the  effect,  that  great  depreciation  of 
property  has  taken  place  in  all  and  each  of  our  West  Indian  colonies, 
and  that  great  has  been  the  distress  consequent  thereupon  ?  These 
governors  are,  of  course,  all  of  them  imbued,  to  some  extent,  with 
the  Ministerial  policy — at  least  it  is  reasonable  to  assume  that  they 
are  so.  At  all  events,  whether  they  are  so  or  not,  their  position 
almost  necessitates  their  doing  their  utmost  to  carry  out,  with  suc- 
cess, the  Ministerial  views  and  general  policy.  To  embody  the  sub- 
stance of  the  answer  given  by  a  talented  Lieutenant-governor,  in  my 
own  hearing,  to  an  address  which  set  forth,  somewhat  strongly,  the 
ruined  prospects  and  wasted  fortunes  of  the  colonists  under  his  go- 
vernment,— "  It  mup.c,  or  it  ought  to  be,  the  object  and  the  desire  of 
every  Governor  or  Lieutenant-governor,  in  the  British  West  Indian 
islands,  to  disappoint  and  stultify,  if  he  can,  the  prognostications  of 
coming  ruin  with  which  the  addresses  he  receives  from  time  to  time 
are  continually  charged."  Yet  what  say  these  Governors  ?  Do  not 
the  reports  of  one  and  all  of  them  confirm  the  above  statement  as  to 
the  deplorable  state  of  distress  to  which  the  West  Indian  planters, 
in  the  British  colonies,  are  now  reduced  ?  No  doubt,  (and  the  pages 
of  any  popular  review  since  1807  bear  testimony  to  the  fact,)  we 
have  had  a  long  continuance  of  complaint — nay,  even  of  the  cry  of 
distress — from  the  West  Indian  proprietors.     Since  the  abolition  of 

13 


146 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


M- 


the  slave  trade,  we  have  never  wanted  the  party  watchword  of  "jus- 
tice to  the  colonies."  But  let  us  take  care  that  we  do  not  apply  the 
philosophy  of  the  fable  of  the  boy  and  the  wolf.  Whatever  may 
have  been  the  amount  of  cause  for  complaint  in  days  gone  by,  there 
is  no  doubt  of  the  fact  that  now  the  British  West  Indian  planters 
have  been  brought,  actually  and  literally,  to  the  verge  of  ruin ;  and 
I  know  not  what  that  minister  or  statesman  would  deserve  of  this 
country,  who  would  devise  and  carry  out  the  measure  that  would 
lead  to  a  restoration  to  a  self-supporting  or  moderately  prosperous 
condition.  Often,  while  witnessing  those  evidences  of  decadence, 
which  were  so  constantly  obtruding  themselves,  did  I  wish  that  the 
vote  could  have  been  taken  over  again  on  the  Sugar  Duties  Bill  of 
1846 — each  member  of  the  House  of  Commons  having,  previous  to 
voting,  prepared  himself  by  a  trip  through  the  West  Indian  islands. 
How  different  would  have  been  the  result !  It  is  one  thing  to  hear 
a  matter  discussed,  particularly  where  there  is  only  a  half  or  a  halt- 
ing account  given  of  its  truth,  but  it  is  quite  another  thing  to  con- 
template the  facts  of  the  case  for  one's  self;  and  thoroughly  confident 
am  I  that,  as  "  seeing  is  believing,"  if  our  legislators  saw  the  actual 
condition  of  our  West  Indian  colonies,  there  would  not  be  perseve- 
rance in  the  present  system  of  legislation  regarding  them — or,  if 
there  was,  some  counteracting  nnd  remedial  measures  at  least  would 
be  devised  and  carried  out. 

In  the  colonial  speech  of  the  Premier  of  Great  Britain,  in  the 
early  part  of  the  present  session  of  Parliament,  he  distinctly  and 
emphatica^y  enunciated  these  positions, — "That  England  must 
retain  her  colonies ;  and  that,  while  it  was  her  duty  as  well  as  her 
interest  so  to  do,  she  could  not,  consistently  with  the  discharge  of 
thaJ;  duty  or  with  her  general  policy,  permit  the  native  or  imported 
races  in  any  portion  of  these  possessions  to  relapse  into  barbarism." 
These  are  noble  principles  and  professions.  How  they  are  all  to 
be  carried  out  as  regards  the  West  Indian  colonies,  consistently 
with  perseverance  in  free  trade  in  sugar — slave  as  well  as  free 
grown — it  passes  my  comprehension  to  know. 

And  where  is  all  this  downward  tendency — this  facilis  descensus 
— to  end  ?  The  object  in  view  in  passing  the  statutes  of  1846  and 
1848  was  cheap  sugar,  and  to  carry  out  the  principles  of  free  trade 
in  all  their  integrity  and  purity.  It  was  and  is  said,  (and  truly 
said,)  that  sugar  has  become,  not  an  article  of  luxury,  but  of 
necessity;  and  also  that  the  consumption  of  it  is  increasing  and 
will  incr^nse;  and  that  it  is  unjust  to  tax  the  home  consumer  for 
the  benefit  of  the  colonial  producer.  And  it  is  farther  said,  that, 
having  adventured  on  a  great  experiment  of  free  trade,  it  behoved 
the  Government  to  carry  it  out  in  all  its  integrity ;  that  it  would 
not  have  done  to  have  stopped  short  in  its  application,  from  a 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


147 


rord  of  "jus- 
Qot  apply  the 
hatever  may 
one  by,  there 
idian  planters 
of  ruin;  and 
jserve  of  this 
e  that  would 
ly  prosperous 
3f  decadence, 
wish  that  the 
duties  Bill  of 
g,  previous  to 
ndian  islands, 
thing  to  hear 
lalf  or  a  halt- 
thing  to  con- 
ghly  confident 
iaw  the  actual 
ot  be  perseve- 
them — or,  if 
at  least  would 

ritain,  in  the 

listinctly  and 

ngland  must 

well  as  her 

discharge  of 

3  or  imported 

)  barbarism." 

ey  are  all  to 

consistently 

well  as  free 

'ills  descensus 
of  1846  and 
of  free  trade 
,  (and  truly 
ury,  but  of 
reusing  and 
onsumer  for 
r  said,  that, 
,  it  behoved 
at  it  would 
tion,  from  a 


regard  to  any  one  particular  interest.  Now  these  arguments  may, 
to  a  certain  extent,  and  as  postulates,  be  conceded,  without  justify- 
ing the  Ministerial  policy  in  reference  to  the  Sugar  Duties  Bill, 
and  the  subsequent  legislation.  I  say  to  a  certain  extent ;  for  I  do 
not  mean  to  carry  the  admission  the  length  of  holding  that  cheap 
sugar  is  a  matter  of  so  much  necessity  as  to  justify  the  Govern- 
ment in  promoting  a  reduction  of  its  price  in  the  home  market, 
/as  aut  nefas — by  unlawful  as  well  as  by  lawful  means — by  breach 
of  agreement  as  well  as  by  more  legitimate  courses.  Nor  do  I 
mean  to  admit  that  "  free  trade"  is  so  desirable ;  or  that,  onco 
adventured  on,  even  as  an  experiment,  it  is  so  necessary  to  apply 
it  to  everything — to  cairy  it  out  in  all  its  integrity — foi  that  is  the 
clap-trap  phrase — that  everything  must  give  way  to  such  conside- 
rations, so  as  to  leave  no  room  for  exceptional  cases.  But,  short 
of  carrying  the  admission  this  insane  length,  it  may  be  conceded 
that  sugar  is  an  article,  not  merely  of  luxury  to  the  rich,  but  of 
necessity  to  the  poor,  so  that  the  Government  are  bound  to  do 
everything  lawful  to  cheapen  the  sugar  market ;  and  further,  that 
free  trade,  once  adventured  on,  should  not  be  abandoned  till  fairly 
tried,  and  until  the  results,  being  tested  by  experience,  are  found 
to  be  unjust  and  injurious.  But  mark  the  answers  that  remain, 
even  after  such  admissions  have  been  made.  The  measure  of  1846 
will  not,  in  the  end,  tend  to  the  cheapening  of  the  sugar  market 
in  this  country.  It  will  necessarily  leati  to  the  withdrawal  of  tlio 
British  colonists  from  the  competion — if  not  to  the  lapsing  of  the 
British  "West  Indian  islands  into  a  state  of  Haytian  semi-barbarism 
and  unproductiveness — if  they  do  not,  in  the  hands  of  some  other 
power,  and  when  abandoned  by  England,  return  to  an  enslaved 
condition.  Again,  and  with  reference  to  the  second  branch  of  tlio 
argument  under  answer,  the  principles  of  free  trade  can  never  bo 
properly  applied,  if  the  effect  of  the  application  be  to  place  in  one 
and  the  same  category  the  man  who  is  unfettered  in  his  mode  of 
working,  and  the  man  who  is  fettered.  Not  to  weary  my  readers, 
I  shall  content  myself  with  a  very  few  simple  remarks,  in  illustra- 
tion of  my  meaning  as  regards  both  of  these  positions. 

Sugar  has  fallen  in  price  since  the  passing  of  the  act  in  1846. 
Every  old  lady  knows  the  fact  in  the  saving  of  her  twopence  or 
threepence  a-week,  and  many,  no  doubt,  rejoice  in  it.  But  why 
has  it  fallen  ?  Because  slave-grown  sugar  was  then  admitted  to 
compete  with  and  keep  down  the  price  of  free-grown  sugar.  The 
first  and  immediate  effect  was  to  produce  a  great  diminution  in  the 
importation  of  sugar  from  the  British  possessions  in  the  West  In- 
dies— only  107,368  tons  being  thence  brought  in  1846,  while 
142,700  tons  were  imported  in  1845. 

No  doubt,  the  statute  retained  an  advantage  in  favour  of  free- 
grown  sugar,  in  the  shape  of  a  gradually  lessening  protective  duty 


148 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


— (although,  it  may  be  remarked  in  passing,  that  it  will  be  found, 
on  a  comparison  of  the  scales  of  duty  for  the  diflFerent  kinds  of 
sugar,  that  this  advantage  is  not  quite  so  great  as  at  first  sight 
appears.)  But  I  have  written  to  little  purpose  if  I  have  not  already 
shown  that  sugar  produced  by  the  labour  of  slaves  can  aiford  to 
give  "  free-grown  sugar"  even  a  greater  advantage  than  the  statute 
concedes  to  it.  In  a  circular  of  Messrs.  Drake,  Brothers,  &  Co., 
of  Havanna,  for  the  year  1844  (the  writers  being  then,  and  I  pre- 
sume now,  among  the  leading  merchants  of  that  town  of  gay  life 
and  unsavoury  smells,)  it  is  openly  announced  to  the  world,  "  That 
they  (Messrs.  D.  B.  &  Co.)  had  no  expectation  of  the  price  of  sugar 
(i.  €.  Cuban  sugar)  being  improved,  except  by  having  the  English 
market  opened  to  the  produce  of  the  island ;"  adding,  "  if  this 
were  effected,  at  a  rate  even  of  Ji/t^  per  cent,  above  the  duty  on 
English  colonial  sugar,  still  they  should  obtain  for  their  produce 
double  the  amount  they  can  obtain  at  present."  This  is  surely 
sufl&ciently  cool  and  conclusive.  These  long-headed,  enterprising 
Havanna  merchants  quietly  tell  *heir  equally  knowing  customers, 
that  fifty  per  cent,  of  a  differencial  duty,  in  favour  of  the  British 
planter,  would  virtually  be  bui.  little  of  a  protection ;  or,  at  least, 
that  the  slave-owner  of  Cuba  could  easily  afford  him  so  much. 
When  we  find  practical  men  addressing  practical  men  in  such 
terms  as  these,  it  is  surely  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  our  West 
Indian  suffering  friends  should  display  some  degree  of  impatience 
when  they  hear  it  urged  in  the  high  places  of  Parliament,  and 
elsewhere,  that  with  economy  of  management,  and  improvements 
in  cultivation,  they  ought  to  be  able  to  contend  successfully  in  a 
competition  with  sugar  which  is  the  produce  of  slave-labour. 

To  the  same  effect,  and  in  strict  consistency,  we  find  the  intel- 
ligent foreign  merchants  above  referred  to — Messrs.  Drake,  Bro- 
thers, and  Co.  of  Havanna — on  the  8th  of  January,  1848,  address- 
ing their  constituents  in  these  terms — the  intelligent  reader  will 
mark  the  contrast, — "The  production  of  1847  has  far  exceeded 
that  of  any  previous  year,  and  the  prices  obtained  by  planters  have 
been  so  highly  remunerative,  that  they  are  enabled  to  adopt  every 
means  for  the  further  extension  of  their  crops."  And  that  the 
cause  of  such  unprecedented  prosperity  of  the  slave-owner,  and  of 
his  highly  remunerative  prices,  which  so  enabled  him  to  carry  out 
the  most  extensive  improvements  on  his  cane  cultivation,  might 
not  be  disputed  or  unappreciated  by  himself  or  others,  another 
circular  says — "  During  the  past  year  the  prices  of  sugar  in  our 
markets  wore  supported  at  high  rates,  with  but  slight  and  tempo- 
rary fluctuations,  notwithstanding  the  large  crop.  This  was  mainly 
owing  to  the  unprecedentcdly  heavy  shipments  to  the  United  States 
and  to  Great  Britain ^  aided  by  a  well-sustained  inquiry  from  Spain, 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


149 


ill  be  found, 
ent  kinds  of 
Eit  first  sight 
B  not  already 
5an  afford  to 
n  the  statute 
;hers,  &  Co., 
a,  and  I  pre- 
i  of  gay  life 
ToAd,  "  That 
rice  of  sugar 
the  English 
ttg,  "if  this 
the  duty  on 
heir  produce 
[lis  is  surely 
enterprising 
g  customers, 
the  British 
or,  at  least, 
im  so  much, 
nen  in  such 
at  our  West 
f  impatience 
liament,  and 
iprovements 
jssfully  in  a 
ibour. 

d  the  intel- 
Drake,  Bro- 
48,  address- 
reader  will 
ar  exceeded 
anters  have 
adopt  every 
id  that  the 
ner,  and  of 
0  carry  out 
tion,  might 
rs,  another 
igar  in  our 
and  tempo- 
waa  mainly 
lited  States 
rom  Spain, 


with  a  fair  demand  from  other  parts."  To  show  that  the  writers 
of  these  circulars  were  quite  correct,  in  ascribing  the  increase  in 
the  Cuban  production  of  1847  over  that  of  1846  to  the  opening  of 
the  British  markets,  and  the  supporting  of  the  prices  to  the  "  un- 
precedentedly  heavy  shipments  to  Great  Britain,"  it  may  be  pro- 
per to  mention  the  fact,  that  the  quantity  of  foreign  sugar  (a  large 
portion  of  it  being  from  Cuba)  imported  into  Great  Britain  in 
1847,  was  nearly  double  that  of  1846 ;  the  respective  quantities 
being  63,211  tons  of  foreign  sugar  imported  in  1846,  and  123,762 
tons  of  foreign  sugar  imported  in  1847. 

It  was  a  free-trade  argument  used  by  Mr.  Bright,  in  1848,  that 
the  statute  of  1846  could  not  be  said  to  have  increased  the  slave 
trade — or,  in  other  words,  the  prosperity  of  the  slave  countries  and 
colonies — seeing  that  the  number  of  slaves  imported  into  Cuba  in 
1846  exceeded  (which  they  did  by  about  a  thousand)  the  number 
imported  in  1847.  And  it  has  often,  in  the  British  House  of  Com- 
mons and  elsewhere,  been  said,  that  the  evidence  adduced  on  the 
subject  of  West  India  distress  is  to  be  regarded  with  distrust  and 
suspicion,  being  the  evidence  of  interested  parties.  But  without 
going  into  this  oft-agitated  question,  or  attempting  any  auswer  to 
this  very  convenient  way  of  disposing  of  the  concurrent  statements 
of  a  host  of  persons,  all  otherwise  most  credible,  what  is  to  be  said 
of  this  evidence  from  the  slaveholders  themselves  ?  We  have  here 
a  statement  on  the  part  of  the  Cubans,  that  they  were  able,  even 
before  the  passing  of  the  act  of  1846,  to  undersell  the  British  colo- 
nist, were  he  protected  in  the  home  market  by  a  differential  duty  of 
fifty  per  cent ;  and  further,  we  have  the  same  parties  consistently 
accounting  for  the  large  crop  and  highly  remunerating  prices  of 
1847,  by  attributing  both  to  the  encouragement  given,  and  demand 
created,  by  the  large  exportation  to  Great  Britain  consequent  on  the 
passing  of  that  act. 

Nor  can  it  be  said  that  it  is  anything  connected  with  his  climate, 
soil,  or  mode  of  cultivation,  that  gives  the  slaveholder  so  great  an 
advantage.  It  cannot  be  said  that  he  has  surpassed,  or  even  come 
up  to  the  British  colonist,  in  regard  to  the  improved  modes  of  cul- 
ture or  of  manufacturing  j  that  has  not,  and  cannot  be  said.  The 
existence  of  slavery,  the  liberty  to  work  his  fields  and  manufacture 
his  crop  by  means  of  slaves,  is  the  alone  cause  which  creates  the 
difference  in  the  expense. 

But  if  the  Cuban  or  other  slaveholder  can  undersell,  or  compete 
with,  the  British  colonist,  even  when  the  latter  is  protected  by  a 
differential  duty,  what  is  to  bo  the  result  when  the  parties  shall  be 
placed  on  an  entire  equality,  as  they  will  now,  under  the  operation 
of  the  Sugar  Duties  Bill,  be  at  no  very  distant  date  ?  It  is  this 
consideration  I  would  earnestly  desire  to  draw  attention  to  j  and,  in 

13* 


150 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


particular  I  would  desire  to  draw  to  it  the  attention  of  tlie  numerous 
friends  of  the  Negro  race.  I  make  no  pretensions  to  the  spirit  of 
prophecy,  and  I  confess  myself  very  much  at  sea  as  to  the  future 
prospects  of  these  beautiful  islands  of  the  Western  Archipelago, 
in  which  I  passed  so  many  pleasant  days.  But,  without  pretending 
to  see  far  into  the  future,  there  are  one  or  two  things  that  may 
safely  be  predicated  as  to  the  ulterior  results.  Should  the 
downward,  ruinous  tendency  continue — if  it  be  not  arrested  by 
the  legislative  measures  of  England,  or  by  some  other  contin- 
gency— one  of  two  things  will  certainly  follow :  either  the  British 
West  Indian  Islands  will  cease  to  be  cultivated  for  the  growth  of 
sugar,  and  the  estates,  at  present  so  occupied,  will  be  devoted  to 
the  culture  of  other  things;  or,  ceasing  to  be  cultivated  at  all  for 
purposes  of  exportation,  these  estates  will  be  deserted  entirely  by 
their  European  proprietors,  and  either  allowed  to  become  overgrown 
with  "  bush,"  or  be  taken  possession  of  for  Negro  gardens  and  inde- 
pendent villages.  In  either  case,  what  becomes  of  our  cheap  sugar  ? 
The  price  is  now  kept  down  chiefly  by  the  competition  between  the 
free-grown  sugar  of  the  British  possessions  and  the  slave-grown 
sugar  of  Brazil,  Cuba,  and  Porto  Kico  There  is  a  supply  from  the 
colonial  possessions  of  other  countries,  &c.,  but  that  supply  is  not  so 
considerable  as  to  aflFect  the  present  argument.  Now,  what  would 
be  thp  effect  of  the  supply  of  sugar  from  the  British  colonial  pos- 
sessions, in  the  western  seas,  being  destroyed,  or  even  materially 
lessened  ?  What  consequ  mces  might  naturally  be  expected  to  ensue 
from  a  serious  diminution  in  the  sugar  productions  of  the  British 
West  Indies  ?*  The  first  most  obvious  answer  to  these  questions  is, 
— That  such  a  falling  off  in  the  supply  would  of  necessity  produce 

*  In  reference  to  this  part  of  the  subject,  it  was  in  view  to  have  given  the  reader 
a  tabular  statistical  statement,  showing  the  proportion  which  the  production  of, 
and  the  amount  of  importations /?wrt,  the  British  West  Indian  possessions  bears  to 
the  sugar  productions  of  the  whole  world,  and  to  the  total  importation  of  sugar  into 
Great  Britain ;  and  also  the  proportion  which  the  British  West  Indian  sugar  re- 
tained for  consumption,  boars  to  tlio  whole  sugar  consumed  in  this  country — as 
well  as  some  additional  particulars  on  these  subjects.  Indeed  I  had  possessed  my- 
self of  many  materials  to  enable  me  to  do  this  with  accuracy;  and,  in  the  collection 
of  these,  had  availed  myself  of  the  information  and  intelligence  of  several  gentle- 
men practically  and  minutely  acquainted  with  the  sugar  trade,  among  wliom  I 
would  respectfully  name  Messrs.  Oonnal  &  Co.,  of  Glasgow.  But  the  details  and 
particulars  being  collected,  I  have  found  the  total  sugar  production  of  the  whole 
world  so  variously  stated,  and  subject  to  so  many  explanations ;  the  annual  impor- 
tation of  sugar  linto  Great  Britain  so  tluctuating,  and  its  consumption  therein  so 
various,  (depending  mainly  on  the  rate  of  wages;)  and  the  proportion  between 
foreign  sugar  and  molasses,  and  colonial  sugar  and  molasses  used  in  this  country 
liable  to  so  many  qualifying  explanations,  that  to  carry  out  the  task  I  thus  con- 
templated, would  liavo  led  mo  far  beyond  the  limits  to  which  this  Chapter  ought 
to  extend.  Besides,  I  also  found,  that  for  all  the  purposes  of  my  argument,  and 
without  in  the  least  attecting  the  soundness  of  the  conclusions  arrived  at,  the 
statistical  premises  may  be  set  forth  in  a  general  way,  and  in  round  numbers.  Of 
this  the  reader  will  of  courso  judge  for  himself,  when  lie  has  completed  hia  perusal 
of  my  remarks. 


an  el 

enhs 
merd 

Witl 
menl 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


151 


the  numerous 
0  the  spirit  of 
to  the  future 

Archipelago, 
►ut  pretending 
ings  that  may 

IShould  the 
t  arrested  by 
other  contin- 
r  the  British 
the  growth  of 
be  devoted  to 
ited  at  all  for 
d  entirely  by 
oae  overgrown 
ens  and  iude- 
cheap  sugar  ? 

between  the 
i  slave-grown 
pply  from  the 
ipply  is  not  so 
f,  what  would 

colonial  pos- 
m  materially 
cted  to  ensue 
f  the  British 

questions  is, 
ssity  produce 

iven  the  reader 
production  of, 
essions  bears  to 
on  of  sugar  into 
iclian  sugar  re- 
lis  country — as 
possessed  my- 
i  the  collection 
several  gcntle- 
mong  wliom  I 
the  details  and 
n  of  the  whole 
annual  impor- 
:ion  therein  so 
rtion  between 
n  this  country 
3k  I  thus  con- 
Uhapter  ought 
irgument,  and 
irrived  at,  the 
numbers.  Of 
Bd  his  perusal 


an  enhancing  of  the  price.  On  this  all  are  agreed.  But,  would  this 
enhancement  of  the  price  be  temporary  or  permanent  ?  and,  if 
merely  the  former,  would  it  endure  for  a  great  length  of  time  ? 
Without,  at  least  for  the  present,  considering  the  value  of  the  argu- 
ment which  arises  from  supposing  that  the  proper  answer  to  this 
question  is,  that  any  advancement  of  price  so  created  would  not  be 
of  long  duration — I  am  solicitous  of  considering  the  soundness  of 
the  opinion  such  an  answer  embodies ;  and  that  chiefly  because  I 
have  found  the  opinion  one  generally  prevalent  among  some  men 
whose  views  are  entitled  to  the  highest  respect.  Now,  the  most  care- 
ful consideration  I  have  been  able  to  give  the  subject,  leads  me  to 
the  conclusion  that  any  considerable  diminution  in  the  cultivation— 
and  consequently  in  the  sugar  production — of  the  British  West 
Indies,  would  to  a  certainty  lead  to  such  a  permanent,  or  at  least 
long  continued,  enhancement  of  the  price  of  sugar  in  this  country, 
as  would  seriously  interfere  with  its  consumption,  enrich  the  slave- 
holders of  Brazil  and  of  Spain,  and  their  respective  governments, 
encourage  slavery,  and  procrastinate  the  period  of  its  endurance; 
and  prove  that  the  English  sugar  legislation  of  1846  and  1848  had 
been  at  least  but  a  short-sighted  policy.  Let  the  soundness  of  this 
opinion  be  tested  by  the  consideration  of  the  following  facts. 

The  production  of,  and  the  demand  for,  sugar  throughout  the 
world  is  nearly  balanced ;  so  that  any  derangement  in  the  sources  of 
supply  only  leads  to  an  enhancing  of  the  price  in  all  the  markets  j 
and  any  additional  demand  in  one  country  can  only  be  supplied  by  a 
proportionate  withdrawal  from  the  others.  Nay,  more  :  if  the  sup- 
ply of  sugar  has  increased,  the  consumption  has  increased  in  even 
more  than  an  equal  ratio.  Up  to  1842,  the  quantity  of  sugar  made 
for  exportation  by  the  whole  sugar-making  countries  and  colonies  of 
the  world,  was  estimated  at  about  670,000  tons ;  in  1849,  (according 
to  the  circular  of  Messrs  Trueman  &  Rouse,  dated  Ist  June  of  that 
year,)  about  970,000  tons.  Both  these  estimates  are  exclusive  of 
the  ibeetroot-sugar  of  France,  Prussia,  and  Belgium,  &c.,  which  may 
safely  be  taken  at  100,000  tons  in  1842,  and  90,000  tons  in  1849; 
the  production  of  sugar  from  beet  having  unquestionably  fallen  off 
during  later  years.  The  total  sugar  production  of  1842  was  thus 
under  800,000  tons,  and  that  of  1849  above  1,050,000  tons.  Now, 
while  such  was  the  production  for  the  supply  of  this  necessary  of 
life  for  the  whole  world,  what  was  the  quantity,  or  about  the  average 
quantity,  consumed  in  Great  Britain  ?  And  what  was  and  is  the 
proportion  of  that  consumption  supplied  by  those  noble  West  Indian 
possessions,  whose  possible  abandonment  we  are  now  contemplating  ? 
Here,  too,  the  statistics  might  be  given  in  round  numbers,  without 
affecting  the  argument.  The  numbers  stated  will,  h(>wever,  be  found 
to  be  as  nearly  as  possible  correct.    It  appears,  from  the  valuable 


pMw' 


152 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


tables  of  3Ir.  Porter,  that  the  quantity  of  sugar  (including  molasses, 
equivalent  to  sugar)  retained  in  thic  country  for  consumption  for 
each  of  the  ten  years  between,  and  inclusive  of,  the  years  1830  and 
1840,  was  about  200,000  tons  (the  numbers  ranging  between  190,000 
tons  and  220  000  tons,  nearly,  according  to  the  rise  and  fall  in  the 
rate  of  wages).  We  have  seen  that,  up  to  1840,  the  total  produc- 
tion (beetroot-sugar  inclusive)  was  considerably  short  of  800,000 
tons.  But  by  1849  both  numbers  had  greatly  increased  j  that  which 
indicates  the  consumption  of  this  country  having,  however,  increased 
in  the  greater  ratio.  As  above  stated,  the  whole  sugar  (beet  in- 
cluded) produced  in  1849,  may  be  estimated  at  about  1,050,000 
tons.  But  the  consumption  of  sugar  in  Great  Britain  for  1849  was 
299,880  tons,  and  of  molasses  40,620  tons;  and,  reducing  the  mo- 
lasses to  sugar,  the  total  consumption  of  Great  Britain  for  1849  may 
safely  be  stated  at  upwards  of  317,000  tons. 

With  the  above-stated  facts  before  hira,  it  is  quite  unnecessary  to 
say  to  any  one  that  a  serious  diminution  in  the  sugar  production  of 
the  British  West  Indian  colonies  would  operate  very  injuriously  on 
the  comforts  as  well  as  on  the  pockets  of  the  people  of  Great  Britain. 
But  we  are  brought  even  still  more  conclusively,  to  the  same  result, 
when  we  consider  the  proportion  which  the  importation  from  the 
British  possessions  in  the  West  Indies  bears  to  the  whole  importa- 
tion of  sugar  into  this  country.  If  not  from  time  immemorial,  at 
least  ever  since  sugar  became  the  necessary  of  life  it  is  now  regarded, 
the  sugar  consumed  in  Great  Britain  has  been  mainly  supplied  from 
her  own  colonial  empire.  As  a  matter  of  course,  this  remark  is 
made  without  reference  to  the  earlier  introduction  of  sugar  into  Eng- 
land in  the  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries,  when,  according  to 
Mr.  M'Oulloch,  it  was  brought  over  to  this  country  by  the  Venetians 
and  Genoese  in  small  quantities,  and  as  an  article  of  high  luxury. 
Indeed,  it  was  not  till  about  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century 
that  the  consumption  of  sugar  in  Great  Britain  reached  an  amount 
to  call  for  special  notice.  Even  during  the  first  year  of  that  century, 
the  total  consumption  was  only  10,000  tons ;  while  up  to  the  year 
1786  the  increase  had  raised  it  to  81,000  tons,  or  thereby.  Its  sub- 
sequent rapid  increase  may  be  understood  from  remarks  which  have 
been  previously  made ;  and  had  it  not  been  made  so  very  much  a 
subject  of  taxation  and  of  revenue,  there  can  be  no  doubt  but  that 
the  consumption  would  have  extended  itself  with  much  greater  ra- 
pidity, to  the  increase  of  the  population,  the  extension  of  the  culti- 
vation, and  the  advancement  of  the  general  prosperity  of  the  British 
West  Indies.  Now,  till  within  the  last  few  years,  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  sugar  thus  supplied  for  home  consumption  has  been  drawn 
from  the  dependencies  of  Great  Britain — the  duty  on  the  importa- 
tion on  foreign  sugar  being  so  high  as  to  amount  to  a  prohibition,  or 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


153 


ig  molasses, 
imption  for 
•s  1830  and 
sen  190,000 
1  fall  in  the 
»tal  produc- 
of  800,000 
that  which 
r,  increased 
ir  (beet  in- 
;  1,050,000 
r  1849  was 
ing  the  mo- 
:  1849  may 

accessary  to 
oduction  of 
ariously  on 
eat  Britain, 
iame  result, 
n  from  the 
le  importa- 
emorial,  at 
w  regarded, 
pplied  from 

remark  is 
,r  into  Eng- 
cording  to 
)  Venetians 
gh  luxury, 
ith  century 
an  amount 
lat  century, 
the  year 
Its  sub- 
livhich  have 
ry  much  a 
)t  but  that 
greater  ra- 
'  the  culti- 
the  British 

the  whole 
een  drawn 
le  importa- 
jibition,  or 


^ 


nearly  so.  Nay  more,  up  to  about  the  year  1820,  almost  the  whole 
of  the  sugar  used  in  this  country  was  brought  from  our  tropical  pos- 
sessions in  the  West  Indian  seas.  Up  to  the  year  named,  the  impor- 
tation of  East  Indian  sugar  was  very  trifling ;  and  it  was  not  till 
1825,  when  the  sugar  of  the  Mauritius  was  placed  on  an  equal  foot- 
ing with  that  imported  from  the  British  colonies  in  the  West  Indies, 
that  the  importation  of  sugar  from  the  Mauritius  became  consider- 
able in  its  amount. 

Even  yet,  and  notwithstanding  the  great  change  which  has  come 
over  the  spirit  of  our  commercial  policy  j  leaving  out  of  view  that 
system  under  which,  if  not  in  consequence  of  which.  Great  Britain 
attained  a  position  of  commercial  greatness  unrivalled  in  ancient,  and 
without  paralled  in  modem  times;  and  notwithstanding,  also,  that 
by  the  philanthropic  abolition  of  slavery  in  our  own  colonies,  while  it 
yet  continued  in  the  colonies  which  surrounded  them,  and  in  which 
produce  similar  to  *heirs  is  manufactured,  we  have  made  the  sugar 
question  a  special  and  exceptional  case;  notwithstanding  that,  in 
disregard  of  these  and  other  considerations,  the  duor  has  been  opened 
to  a  competition  between  foreign  slave-grown  and  colonial  free-grown 
sugar  in  the  markets  of  this  country — still,  a  very  largs  proportion 
of  the  whole  sugar  consumed  in  Great  Britain  is  supplied  from  our 
own  colonial  possessions  in  the  West  Indian  Archipelago.  By  les- 
sening the  number  of  labourers  for  conducting  the  operations  in  the 
fields,  or  at  the  boiling-house  and  distillery,  one  of  the  effects  of  the 
Emancipation  Act  was  to  inflict  a  heavy  blow  upon  the  production  of 
the  British  West  Indies.  It  fell  off  very  greatly.  In  1834  it  was 
192,098  tons;  in  1841  it  had  fallen  to  107,500  tons;  thereafter  it 
revived  in  consequence  of  the  introduction  of  machinery,  and  the 
adoption  of  improved  modes  of  husbandry  and  manufacture,  till 
1846  when  it  again  fell  oflF  to  107,368  tons.  It  has  since  somewhat 
improved,  and  in  1849  the  quantity  of  sugar  imported  into  this 
country  from  the  British  West  Indies  was  142,240  tons;  while 
120,870  tons  were  brought  from  the  Mauritius  and  the  East  Indies, 
and  98,045  tons  from  foreign  parts — all  exclusive  of  the  importation 
of  molasses. 

It  is  thus  seen  that,  even  yet,  the  sugar  imported  from  her  own 
possessions  in  the  West  Indies  forms  a  large  proportion  of  the  whole 
sugar  imported  into  Great  Britain ;  so  that  any  serious  diminution  in 
the  amount  of  that  import,  (or,  in  other  words,  in  the  extent  of  the 
sugar  cultivation  of  the  British  West  Indies,)  would  have  a  very 
serious  eflFect  on  the  price  of  sugar  in  this  country.  But  the  most 
important  consideration  is  yet  to  come.  Nothing  more  conclusively 
appears,  from  a  comparison  of  the  statistical  tables  relative  to  the 
sugar  trade,  then  does  the  fact  that  while,  on  a  comparison  of  years, 
the  importation  of  foreign  sugar  is  increasing,  that  of  British  colo- 


154 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


nial  is  diminishing.  The  relative  proportions  may  vary  in  different 
years,  but  the  general  result  is  as  i  have  stated  it.  The  supply  of 
foreign  sugar  and  molasses  is  increasing;  and  if  matters  progress 
even  just  as  they  have  been  doing,  the  gradual  increase  in  the  amount 
required  will  be  supplied  by  importntions  ^'rom  foreign,  and  almost 
entirely  from  slaveholding  countries  and  colonies,  to  the  great  en- 
couragement of  slavery  and  of  the  slave  trade,  if  not  to  the  ruin  of 
the  free  sugar-growing  colonies  of  Great  Britain. 

But  will  not  a  continuance  of  the  pres3nt  tystem  eventuate  in  the 
ruin  of  the  British  West  Indian  colonies,  al  least  as  sugar-producing 
countries  ?  To  my  mind  it  appears  that  it  must  do  so.  Already  the 
present  competition  in  the  home  market,  between  free  and  slave 
grown  sugar,  has  had  the  eflfect  of  throwing  out  of  cultivation  many 
of  the  sugar  estates  in  the  British  possessions.  If  such  is  the  case 
even  now,  when  there  exists  a  protective  or  differential  duty  of  about 
5s.  9d.  per  cwt.,  what  is  to  be  the  effect  in  1854,  when  the  opera- 
tion of  this  principle  of  competition  has  been  pushed  to  its  climax  'i 
Must  not  that  effect  be  the  sure,  though  gradual,  withdrawal  of  the 
British  West  Indian  colonists  altogether  from  the  competition  ?  And 
if  so,  must  not  the  price  of  sugar  then  rise,  and  rise  very  greatly  ? 
No  doubt  it  has  been  and  may  be  said,  that  even  were  such  a  deplo- 
rable result  to  be  the  legitimate  issue  of  a  continuance  of  our  free- 
trade  policy  as  regards  the  article  of  sugar  yet  £he  effect  would  not 
be  the  permanent  enhancement  of  the  pn  e  of  this  now  necessary 
commodity,  inasmuch  as  any  serious  falling  off  in  the  production  in 
the  British  colonies  would  stimulate  production  in  foreign  countries, 
and  the  extent  of  territory  in  which  sugar  might  be  grown  being 
very  great,  the  consequence  of  that  stimulated  production  would  bo 
the  maintenance  of  present  prices.  Now,  apart  from  the  answer  to 
this  argument,  that  it  resolves  the  whole  question  into  one  of  cheap- 
ness of  price,  I  more  than  question  its  soundness  j  nay,  I  deny  that 
?t  id  sound.  We  have  seen  that,  even  with  the  production  of  the 
tropical  possessions  of  England  in  the  West  Indies,  the  production 
of  the  sugar  produced  in  all  parts  of  the  globe  has  not  increased  in 
a  greater  ratio  than  the  demand  for  it  has  done ;  and  we  have  also 
seen  how  large  a  proportion  of  that  total  production  is  the  sugar 
made  in  the  British  West  Indian  possessions.  I  cannot,  therefore, 
suppose  that  even  the  most  enthusiastic  advocate  for  the  integrity 
of  free-trade  principles,  or  the  most  credulous  believer  in  the  suffi- 
ciency of  such  principles  to  maintain  and  preserve  a  due  equilibrium 
between  the  demand  and  the  supply,  can  imagine  that,  should  the 
time  ever  come  when  the  competition  of  Brazilian,  Cuban,  and  other 
slave-grown  sugar  shall  have  driven  the  British  planter  out  of  the 
market,  the  former  will  not  have  a  virtual  monopoly  of  the  sugar 
market^  and  the  advantage  of  the  enhanced  prices  which  such  mono- 


I 


■ 


y  in  different 
riie  supply  of 
itters  progress 
in  the  amount 
1,  and  almost 
the  great  en- 
to  the  ruin  of 


entuate  in  the 
igar-producing 
Already  the 
Vee  and  slave 
tivation  many 
ih  is  the  case 
duty  of  about 
en  the  opera- 
te its  climax 't 
bdrawal  of  the 
)etition?  And 
very  greatly  ? 
such  a  deplo- 
e  of  our  free- 
bet  would  not 
aow  necessary 
production  in 
ign  countries, 
grown  being 
tion  would  be 
he  answer  to 
one  of  cheap- 
',  I  deny  that 
uction  of  the 
le  production 
t  increased  in 
we  have  also 
1  is  the  sugar 
ot,  therefore, 
the  integrity 
in  the  suffi- 

0  equilibrium 
t,  should  the 
an,  and  other 
!r  out  of  the 
of  the  sugar 

1  such  mono- 


BRITISII  WEST  INDIEiS. 


155 


poly  will  of  necessity  create.   Is  there  any  one,  who  knows  anything 
of  the  statistics  of  the  sugar  trade,  who  supposes  for  a  moment  that 
the  supply  of  sugar  to  be  had  from  the  British  possessions  in  the 
East,  the  Mauritius,  the  free  colonies  of  other  countries,  or  any  other 
place,  would  suffice  to  prevent  the  production  of  such  a  result  ?  Tho 
sugar  annually  made  by  means  of  slaves  in  Brazil,  and  in  the  colo- 
nies of  Spain,  at  present  amounts  to  nearly  a  third  more  than  the 
whole  quantity  made  in  the  British  West  Indian  colonies,  British 
India,  and  the  Mauritius.  Were  the  first  of  the  three  last-mentioned 
sources  of  supply  cut  off,  (as  my  argument  supposes,)  the  production 
from  the  two  last-mentioned  would  not  amount  to  much  more  than 
the  quantity  at  present  exported  from  Brazil  alone.    It  is  not,  then, 
to  be  supposed  that  even  the  party  most  desirous  of  the  continuance 
of  the  present  system  of  colonial  policy,  and  most  prepared  to  go  the 
whole  length  of  meeting  all  the  consequences  that  may  or  can  result 
from  its  application,  rather  than  go  back  upon  any  part  of  this  favour- 
ite theory  of  free  trade,  will  be  disposed  to  conduct  the  argument 
upon  the  assumption  or  admission,  that  probably,  or  even  possibly, 
a  continuance  of  the  present  system  cf  placing  slave-grown  and  free- 
grown  sugar  on  an  equality,  in  the  home  market,  may  eventuate  in 
driving  the  British  colonist  out  of  the  market  altogether.   Such  per- 
son will  rather  be  disposed  to  deny  the  probability,  or  even  the  pos- 
sibility, of  such  a  result.   Indeed,  it  is  plainly^  the  only  course  which 
there  is  left  for  him  to  pursue.    It  would  never  do  to  suppose  tho 
possibility  of  our  West  Indian  colonies  ceasing  entirely  to  export 
sugar  to  the  mother  country.     Not  only  is  the  very  idea  one  that,  if 
seriously  entertained,  would  rouse  the  feelings  and  excite  the  ener- 
gies of  the  whole  nation  ;  not  only  would  it  involve  the  supposition, 
that  all  oft-quot2d  £20,000,000  of  compensation  money  had  been 
thrown  away;   not  only  would  it  be  to  assume  that  all  Britain's 
efforts  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  unfortunate  sous  of  Ham  in 
the  West  Indies  had  only  terminated  in  leaving  them  in  a  worse 
condition  that  that  in  which  they  were,  when  first,  in  1807,  our 
course  of  legislative  philanthropy  was  adventured  on  j  not  only  would 
the  idea  of  the  British  West  Indian  colonists  abandoning  the  culti- 
vation of  the  sugar-cane  involve  all  this  and  more  :  it  would  likewise 
involve  the  admission  that  the  policy  of  the  sugar  duties,  statutes  of 
1846  and  1848  had  failed;  that,  while  the  object  aimed  at  by  our 
new  legislative  acts  was  to  cheapen  sugar  to  the  British  consumer, 
that  object  had  not  been  eventually  attained — nay,  the  result  had 
been  the  other  way.   After  a  few  years  of  cheapness,  caused  by  un- 
equal competition  between  slave  and  free  grown  sugar,  the  produc- 
tion of  the  latter  had  been  given  up  as  unprofitable ;  and  the  manu- 
facturer of  the  former,  having  it  all  his  own  way,  or  nearly  so,  had 
advanced  prices  to  a  higher  point  than  they  had  ever  attained  before 


156 


iiHITTSH  WEST  INDIES. 


the  ititrotluction  of  tlnj  meaffuro  wliich  had  thus  driven  the  British 
planter  from  the  field  cf  competition. 

l!:upposing  the  Cuban  or  lirazilian  to  be  actuated  by  the  ordinary 
principles  of  human  nature,  such  a  result  may  be  predicated,  with 
certainty,  as  the  issue  of  the  British  West  Indies  being  driven  out 
of  the  sugar  market.  But  even  supposing  these  parties  to  be  so 
negligent  to  their  own  interests,  or  so  enamoured  of  the  principles  of 
free  trade,  as  to  allow  prices  to  remain  at  the  minimum  to  which 
competition  had  reduced  them,  there  is  still  the  little  less  than  cer- 
tainty of  the  Spanish  and  Brazilian  governments  imposing  export 
duties,  or  additional  export  duties,  so  soon  as  they  found  that  their 
doing  so  would  not  prevent  the  consumption  of  their  sugar  by  Eng- 
land and  her  possessions. 

Now,  if  there  be  any  probability  in  the  views  above  stated — if 
there  be  any  grounds  even,  for  supposing  that  the  result  contemplated 
is  within  the  immense  cycle  of  possible  things — is  this  not  a  subject 
which  is  well  worthy  of  the  serious  consideration,  not  only  of  the 
statesmen  and  legislators  of  this  great  country,  but  of  the  whole 
thinking  portion  of  the  nation  ?  And  if  it  be  the  fact,  as  many  do 
no\  aver,  and  offer  to  prove  it  to  be,  (by  a  host  of  witnesses  too  prac- 
tical to  be  themselves  deceived,  too  honest  to  desire  to  deceive  others, 
cad  too  consistent  and  concurrent  in  their  testimony  to  be  easily 
gainsayed),  that  the  anticipated  issue  is,  even  now,  in  operation ;  that 
the  resultts  of  that  legislation  which  will  in  1854  place  colonial, 
free,  and  foreign  slave-grown  sugar  on  an  equal  footing, — in  respect 
of  duties,  for,  relative  value  considered,  they  are  already  on  an 
equality — has  been  to  lessen,  and  will  be  to  destroy,  the  production 
of  the  former  kind  altogether, — surely  it  is  high  time  for  all  who 
feel  an  interest  in  the  welfare  of  England,  or  of  her  West  India 
colonies,  or  even  a  desire  for  permanent  cheapness,  of  sugar,  to  exert 
themselves,  if  they  may,  by  so  doing,  discover  a  means  whereby  so 
great  an  evil  may  be  prevented  or  avoided.  Here  the  question  is 
only  considered  as  it  is  likely  to  affect  the  interests  of  the  sugar  con- 
sumers of  Great  Britain.  We  have,  for  the  present,  nothing  to  do 
with  the  eiFects  of  the  possible  or  probable  lessening  or  abandonment 
of  sugar  cultivation  of  the  West  Indies  by  the  British  colonist,  on 
the  condition  and  destinies  of  these  colonies,  or  of  the  Negro  race 
which  at  present  inhabit  them — that  is  a  separate  question  j  and  it 
is  a  wide  and  an  important  one,  for  which  we  may,  or  may  not,  have 
room  to  treat  in  this  work.  The  subject  here  in  hand  is  the  interest 
the  whole  inhabitants  of  Great  Britain  have  in  the  consideration  of 
the  question  of  whether  a  continuance  of  that  legislation,  which  will 
eventually  place  slave  and  free  productions  on  an  equal  footing  in 
the  markets  of  England,  is,  or  is  not,  likely  to  lead  to  the  abandon- 
ment or  serious  diminution  of  sugar  cultivation  in  the  West  Indies 


en  the  British 

y  the  ordinary 
edicated,  with 
Ing  driven  out 
irties  to  be  so 
e  principles  of 
mm  to  which 
less  than  cer- 
posing  export 
ind  that  their 
sugar  by  Eng- 

•ovQ  stated — if 
b  contemplated 
)  not  a  subject 
lot  only  of  the 
of  the  whole 
3t,  as  many  do 
lesses  too  prac- 
deceive  others, 
r  to  be  easily 
peration ;  that 
place  colonial, 
», — in  respect 
ilready  on  an 
;he  production 
e  for  all  who 
er  West  India 
mgar,  to  exert 
IS  whereby  so 
he  question  is 
the  sugar  con- 
lothing  to  do 

abandonment 
colonist,  on 
Negro  race 
estion;  and  it 
may  not,  have 
is  the  interest 
Qsideration  of 
m,  which  will 
lal  footing  in 

the  abandon- 
3  West  Indies 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


157 


— and  this  question  will  be  found  to  bo  a  sufficiently  important  one. 
To  treat  of  it  at  the  length  it  would  justify,  if  dot  require,  were 
beyond  the  limits  of  a  work  like  this;  but  a  few  facts  and  considera- 
tions will,  it  is  conceived,  be  sufficient  to  place  the  subject  in  a  light 
which  will  show  that  it  at  least  deserves,  and  loudly  calls  for,  the 
most  serious  attention. 

Were  the  subject  not  encircled  with  elements  of  painful  reflection  to 
most  persons  who  have  personally  witnessed  the  blighted  hopes  and 
ruined  fortunes  of  our  fellow-subjects  in  the  West  Indies,  it  would 
be  simply  amusing  to  see  the  manner  in  which  the  topic  of  West 
Indian  distress  is  generally  treated,  by  specimens  of  every  class  of 
politicians  in  this  country.    It  is  not  confined  to  one  class,  it  seems 
to  pervade  all — Tory,  Conservative,  Whig,  Radical,  and  Chartist- 
all  seem  to  adopt  something  of  the  same  style  of  getting  over  or 
away  from  the  consideration  of  the  subject.    All  the  parties  here 
referred  to  profess  to  admit  the  existence  of  West  Indian  distress, 
and  all  of  them  seem  also  to  admit  that  the  West  Indians  have  not 
had  justice  done  to  them,  and  to  deplore  that  such  is  the  fact ;  but 
all  of  them,  at  the  same  time,  decline  i;o  commit  themselves  to  any 
practical  remedy,  or  at  least  decline  to  admit  that  any  such  remedy 
can  possibly  be  looked  for  in  an  interference  with  their  own  peculiar 
and  favourite  political  nostrums.    The  Tory  or  Conservative  will 
shake  his  head,  and,  while  he  admits  that  the  West  Indies  are  nearly 
ruined,  he  will  point,  at  the  same  time,  to  the  fact  that  the  landed  in- 
terests of  England  have  also  had  much  of  depressing  influence  to  con- 
tend against — as  if  there  were  any  proper  or  legitimate  bond  of  con- 
nexion between  the  two  j  or  as  if,  even  though  there  were,  the  repe- 
tition of  an  injustice  were  an  extenuation,  fnstead  of  an  aggravation, 
of  an  ofl'ence.     The  Radical  and  Chartist,  also,  will  complacently 
admit  the  fact  of  West  Indian  depression ',  but  they  will,  at  the  same 
time,  declaim  loudly  of  sugar  being  now  a  necessary  of  the  poor 
man's  life — of  the  advantages  of  cheap  sugar — and  of  its  being  expe- 
dient, in  all  cases,  that  a  nation  should  buy  in  the  cheapest  as  well 
as  sell  in  the  dearest  markets :  as  if  it  were  a  settled  thing  that  the 
present  free-trade  policy,  as  regards  this  commodity,  were  the  one 
most  calculated  to  produce  a  permanent  lowering  of  the  price ;  or  as 
if  there  were  nothing  either  in  national  faith,  or  in  national  consist- 
ency, where  self-interest,  or  what  was  supposed  to  be  so,  stood  in  the 
way.    Now  it  is  only  right  that  all  this  evasion  of  the  real  argument 
should  be  put  aside,  and  that  this  truly  great  West  Indian  question 
should  be  viewed  apart  from  all  political  views,  either  of  one  kind 
or  of  another.    The  question  is  one  of  interest  as  well  as  of  justice, 
and  the  sooner  the  nation  views  it  in  this  light,  the  better  for  all  par- 
ties.    It  is  the  interest  as  well  as  the  bargain  of  this  country,  that 
she  should  protect  her  colonists  from  the  competition  of  slave-grown 

14 


158 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


produce.  It  is  her  bargain,  because,  when  she  tied  the  hands  of 
these  colonists,  by  precluding  them  from  the  employment  of  slaves 
in  the  cultivation  and  management  of  their  estates,  she  conditioned, 
OS  well  expressly  as  by  implication,  that  at  no  future  period  would 
they  ever  find  her  so  far  and  so  decidedly  encouraging  slavery  as  to 
expose  them  to  competition  from  the  slave-grown  produce  of  for- 
eigners, at  least  in  the  home  market.  It  is  her  interest,  because,  it 
having  been  to  demonstration  and  by  experience  proven,  that,  in  the 
present  state  of  the  West  Indies,  culture  or  labour  by  freemen  can 
never  be  so  remunerative  (in  other  words,  can  never  compete  with) 
the  labour  of  slaves,  the  necessary  effect  of  placing  the  two  on  equal 
footing  must  be  to  drive  the  free  produce  out  of  the  market ;  and, 
consequently,  to  lead  eventually  to  the  abandonment  of  the  sugar 
plantations,  boiling-houses,  and  distilleries,  at  present  in  cultivation 
and  operation  in  the  free  colonies  of  England.  The  word  advisedly 
used  here  is  "eventually" — not  because  there  is,  even  now,  any 
doubt  of  the  fact  that  the  cultivation  of  a  sugar  estate,  in  most  of 
the  British  colonies  in  the  West  Indies,  cannot  be  profitably  con- 
ducted in  the  face  of  a  competition  on  equal  terms  (as  will  soon  be 
the  case)  with  the  slave-grown  sugar  of  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  or  the 
Brazils — no ;  the  qualifying  word  is  employed,  simply  because  the 
writer  has  had  many  opportunities  of  observing  the  "  hope  against 
hope"  which  animates  the  great  body  of  West  Indian  planters  in  the 
British  colonies.  With  their  all  perilled  on  the  venture,  and  know- 
ing personally  and  full  well  how  important  to  England  is  the  preser- 
vation of  her  colonies,  as  accessories  and  aids  to  her  mercantile  and 
naval  supremacy,  and  strong  in  an  ardent  attachment  to  the  consti- 
tution and  institutions  of  their  native  land,  these  West  Indian  pro- 
prietors cannot  permit  themselves  to  believe  that  the  present  system 
of  misgovernment  is  to  last  for  ever.  They  cannot  think  that  it  will 
be  allowed  to  work  out  its  dire  results ;  they  hope  and  trust  that 
the  eyes  of  those  in  power  at  home  will  be  opened  to  the  real  exist- 
ing state  of  things ;  and  that  the  voices  of  the  many,  and  the  really 
interested,  are  not  to  be  silenced  or  disregarded  for  ever,  because  of 
the  mis-statements  of  the  few,  who  find  it  to  be  their  interests  to 
echo — no  matter  at  what  expense  of  consistency  or  of  truth — the 
opinions  of  those  to  whom  their  statements  are  addressed.  Thus  it 
is  that  the  great  body  of  West  Indian  planters  and  proprietors  have 
gone  on,  year  after  yei^r,  struggling  against  the  difiiculties  with  which 
they  have  had  to  contend.  But  it  were  a  curious  inquiry — one  both 
painful  and  profitable — to  inquire  into  the  sacrifices  at  which  the 
struggle  has  been  kept  up.  It  formed  one  of  the  arguments  in  favour 
of  the  Emancipation  Bill  of  1833,  that  it  would  improve  the  con- 
dition as  well  of  the  planter  as  of  the  slave.  How  has  this  promise 
been  kept  ?    No  doubt,  the  emancipation  money  went  to  relieve  the 


1 


BRITISFI  WEST  INDIES. 


159 


ho  hands  of 
ent  of  slaves 
!  conditioned, 
period  would 
slavery  as  to 
jduce  of  for- 
itj  because,  it 
I,  that,  in  the 
freemen  can 
ompete  with) 
two  on  equal 
uarket;  and, 
of  the  sugar 
in  cultivation 
Drd  advisedly 
^en  now,  any 
te,  in  most  of 
rofitably  con- 
i  will  soon  be 
Rico,  or  the 
jT  because  the 
'  hope  against 
ilanters  in  the 
•e,  and  know- 
is  the  preser- 
ercantile  and 
to  the  consti- 
t  Indian  pro- 
esent  system 
k  that  it  will 
id  trust  that 
he  real  exist- 
nd  the  really 
ir,  because  of 
interests  to 
f  truth — the 
sed.   Thus  it 
)rietors  have 
s  with  which 
y — one  both 
it  which  the 
Qts  in  favour 
)ve  the  con- 
bhis  promise 
0  relieve  the 


estates  that  had  been  previously  burdened  with  debt,  and  to  relieve 
also  the  anxieties  of  many  mortgages,  who  were  previously  some- 
what doubtful  about  the  security  on  which  their  advances  had  been 
made.  Nay,  even  the  fact  that  their  estates  were  relieved  in  this 
way  from  their  former  debts,  operated  injuriously  as  regards  many 
of  the  proprietors  of  West  Indian  properties. 

At  the  time  the  emancipation  money  was  paid,  many  of  these  es- 
tates were  burdened  so  helplessly,  and  under  such  circumstances, 
that,  for  a  present  and  immediate  payment  of  two-thirds  of  the 
amount  of  the  mortgage,  the  creditor  who  held  it  would  have  been 
glad  to  have  given  up  his  security  altogether.     Nay,  in  many  cases 
creditors  would  have  been  well  paid  to  have  got  settlement  on  these 
terras.     An  estate  nominally  valued  at  £  50,000  was  burdened  with 
debt  to  the  extent  of  £35,000;  but  the  real  selling  value  of  the 
property  was  probably  not  much  more  than  the  amount  of  che  mort- 
gage, and  the  holder  of  the  security  very  probably  would  gladly  have 
given  some  deduction  from  the  amount  of  his  bond,  to  have  been 
put  into  possession  of  hard  cash  for  the  balance  of  it — at  least  he 
would  have  been  so,  had  he  foreseen  the  result  of  subsequent  legis- 
lation.    But  the  Emancipation  Act,  with  its  attendant  compensation, 
came  j  and  it  being  the  principle  of  the  statute  that  the  compensation 
money  should  go,  in  the  first  place,  to  the  wiping  oflF  the  real  debt 
on  the  burdened  estates ;  the  mortgagee  found  himself  in  possession 
of  a  present  payment  of  one-half  of  his  debt,  with  still  the  security 
of  the  whole  estate  for  the  payment  of  the  other  moiety.   The  eflfect 
of  this  partial  payment  of  mortgages  on  estates,  under  the  operation 
of  the  emancipation  statute,  coupled  with  the  depreciation  in  the 
value  of  West  Indian  properties,  consequent  upon  the  actual  working 
of  that  act,  has  thus  led  to  a  very  strange  state  of  things,  aud  of 
feeling,  in  some  of  our  West  Indian  possessions.     I  cannot  better 
illustrate  this  than  by  giving  the  substance  of  an  argument  I  once 
heard  maintained  by  a  professional  friend,  whose  acquaintance  I  made 
in  one  of  the  Leeward  Islands.   Speaking  of  an  actual  case,  in  which 
he  had  been  consulted,  he  told  me  that  it  was  his  intention  to  urge 
in  court  the  plea  that  the  mortgagee,  seeking  to  foreclose,  had  no 
right  to  do  so,  for  recovery  of  the  amount  or  balance  stated  in  the 
face  of  his  mortgage.     His  reasoning,  or  that  he  purposed  making 
use  of,  was  this — ^You,  the  mortgagee,  lent  your  £35,000,  on  my 
client's  estate,  at  a  time  when  you  and  he  both  believed  it  to  be  worth 
£  50,000 ;  and,  in  doing  so,  you  acted  on,  and  were  solely  influenced 
by  that  belief.     But  the  Emancipation  Act  came ;  and  while,  under 
its  operation,  you  received  some  £  10,000  or  £  15,000  of  your  debt, 
the  other  eflfect  of  it  was  to  reduce  the  value  of  the  whole  estate  to 
a  sum  not  more  than  adequate  for  the  payment  of  your  balance. 
Seeing,  then,  that  we  both  adventured  on  a  principle  or  valuation 


160 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


■ili' 


■•m. 


which  has  turned  out  fallacious — seeing  that  the  estate  we  mutually 
supposed  to  be  worth  £  50,000  has,  through  the  eflfects  of  legislative 
interference,  turned  out  to  be  worth  not  more  than  £  20,000,  why 
should  I,  the  owner,  be  the  sole  loser,  while  you  the  mortgagee, 
should  lose  nothing  at  all  ?  The  fallacy  in  such  an  argument  is,  of 
course,  very  obvious;  and  I  doubt  not  but  that  my  sharp-witted 
friend  himself  also  saw  it.  But  the  fact,  that  such  an  argument  was 
made  use  of  by  a  professional  man  of  ability,  and  that  it  met  with 
acceptance  from  the  party  at  a  governor's  table  who  heard  it,  affords 
an  element  for  consideration,  in  endeavouring  to  arrive  at  a  correct 
estimate  of  the  sentiments  generally  prevalent  in  the  colonies  them- 
selves, on  the  subject  of  the  treatment  they  have  received  under  the 
legislative  measures  of  the  mother  country. 

While,  however,  in  their  hope  of  better  things,  the  vast  majority 
of  the  British  planters  in  the  West  Indies  have  gone  on  struggling 
against  the  depreciating  influences  to  which  they  have  been  exposed 
— and  while  I  doubt  not  but  that  they,  or  the  major  niimber  of  them, 
will  continue  still  to  do  so  for  perhaps  many  years  to  come,  even 
though  no  legislative  attempt  should  be  made  to  arrest  their  down- 
ward progress — nay  more,  while  even  this  very  depression  may,  in 
illustration  of  the  principle  that  "  sweet  are  the  uses  of  adversity," 
teach  some  of  these  planters  an  economy  or  frugality  of  living  and 
of  management  they  would  not  otherwise  have  practised — yet  sure 
am  I  of  two  things,  and  these  two  things  I  would  desire  to  impress 
on  the  minds  of  all  who  unite  with  me  in  the  opinion  that,  without 
her  colonies,  England  would  be  but  a  skeleton  of  her  present  self; 
and  who,  consequently,  like  me,  desire  that  the  prosperity  of  these 
colonies  should  be  looked  after,  just  as  if  they  formed  an  integral 
part  of  the  empire  of  Great  Britain.  The  facts  referred  to  are  these  : 
— In  the  first  place,  the  evils  predicated  as  likely  to  arise  from  ex- 
posing colonial  sugar  to  an  equal  competition  with  foreif;n  slava- 
grown  sugar,  have  been  felt  in  part  already.  In  several  of  the  colo- 
nies, estates  formerly  flourishing  are  now  deserted,  and  are  hastening 
back  to  a  state  of  nature  with  all  the  luxuriant  rankness  of  tropical 
vegetation.  Free  labour  may  possibly,  in  other  circumstances,  com- 
pete wich  slave  labour,  even  in  sugar  making ;  but  it  certainly  cannot 
do  so  with  the  means  of  labour  at  present  to  be  had  in  the  British 
West  Indies — the  colony  of  Barbadoes  alone  excepted.  In  the  other 
colonies  it  has  never  been  afforded  a  fair  chance.  In  the  second 
place,  the  same  thing  Is  now  going  on,  and  is  evidencing  its  operation 
by  the  withdrawal  of  capital  from  the  cultivation  of  the  soil  and 
from  the  manufacture  of  the  juices  produced  from  the  cut  cane.  The 
inevitable  result  must  be — if  no  interposing  cause  prevent — that  in 
some  ten,  or  it  may  perchance  be  twenty  years,  although  I  cannot 
think  it  can  bo  so  long,  the  sugar  produutioL  of  thu  British  West 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


161 


5  we  mutually 
s  of  legislative 
;  20,000,  Mvhj 
be  mortgagee, 
gument  is,  of 
f  sharp-witted 
argument  was 
at  it  met  with 
jard  it,  affords 
e  at  a  correct 
colonies  them- 
ved  under  the 

I  vast  majority 

on  struggling 

been  exposed 

mber  of  them, 

to  come,  even 

st  their  down- 

ssion  may,  in 

of  adversity," 

of  living  and 

sed — yet  sure 

ire  to  impress 

that,  without 

present  self; 

)erity  of  these 

ed  an  integral 

to  are  these : 

rise  from  ex- 

brei[;n  slava- 

il  of  the  colo- 

are  hastening 

ss  of  tropical 

istances,  com- 

rtainly  cannot 

u  the  British 

In  the  other 

n  the  second 

its  operation 

the  soil  and 

ut  cane.   The 

^ent — that  in 

igh  I  cannot 

British  West 


i 


Indian  colonies  will  form  no  barrier  in  the  way  of  a  rise  of  price? 
for  the  benefit  of  Brazil,  or  of  the  slave-employing  colonies  of  Spain. 
This  opinion  will  lo  some  seem  extravagant;  but  I  would  that  the 
question  presently  at  issue  between  the  British  West  Indian  plant- 
ers and  the  home  government  could  be  brought  to  this  arbitrament 
—could  be  determined  by  the  former  being  brought  to  an  assize,  and 
challenged  to  the  proof  of  the  two  specific  positions.     The  desertion 
of  estates,  and  the  causes  of  such  desertion,  could  be  established  by 
the  evidence  of  their  unfortunate  owners — the  only  objection  to  their 
examination  being  the  great  amount  of  time  that  would  be  con- 
sumed in  hearing  the  dispiriting  statements  of  so  many  witnesses, 
speaking  each  from  his  own  personal  and  dear-bought  experience ; — 
while  the  continued  operation  of  the  same  cause  in  the  production  of 
the  same  result,  and  the  annual  lessening  of  the  number  of  acres 
devoted  to  cane  cultivation,  might  be  established — not  only  by  the 
united  testimonies  of  the  West  Indian  planters  and  proprietors,  but 
by  the  evidence  of  nearly  every  Governor  who  has  held  the  reins  of 
power  in  the  West  Indian  colonies  for  the  last  four  years.     It  has 
been  already  remarked  that  it  was  to  be  expected  that  these  gentle- 
men, if  not  themselves  thoroughly  iinpressed  with  the  wisdom  of  the 
present  colonial  policy,  would  at  least  do  their  utmost  to  contradict 
or  controvert  the  tales  of  decadence  and  ruin  which  the  West  Indians 
have  of  late  years  been  annually  pouring  forth.     No  doubt,  neither 
governors  nor  governed  could  deny  the  extensive  failures  that  have 
of  late  years  been  so  common  among  West  Indian  merchants  in  this 
country,  and  which,  it  is  notorious,  have  arisen  from  no  other  cause 
than  the  unexpected  introduction  of  slave-grown  produce  to  compete 
with  the  produce  of  those  who  are  neither  allowed  to  work  their 
estates  by  means  of  slaves,  nor  provided  with  a  sufficient  supply  of 
freemen  wherewith  to  cultivate  them,  although  the  latter  was  un- 
questionably promised  them.     Neither  could  any  candid  man  deny 
the  evidence  of  back-going  afforded  by  abandoned  estates  and  desert- 
ed sugar-works — the  former  becoming  overgrown  with  brushwood, 
with  that  rapidity  which  is  characteristic  of  growth  within  the  tro- 
pics, and  the  latter  fast  crumbling  into  ruin  and  decay.     Such  real 
evidence  is  not  to  be  gainsayed.     But  what  cannot  be  denied  may 
sometimes  be  extenuated;  and,  instead  of  leaving  the  dry  details  to 
tell  their  own  tale  of  blighted  hopes  and  ruined  expectations,  any 
one,  desirous  of  giving  only  a  favourable  account  of  matters,  could 
point  to  grounds  of  hope — to  collateral  causes  that  may  have  aided 
in  the  production  of  unfortunate  results — and  to  the  removal  of  these 
minor  causes  as  likely  to  lead  to  an  amended  state  of  matters.    And, 
to  some  extent  at  least,  this  has  been  done  by  the  governors  of  our 
West  Indian  possessions.     So  far  as  truth  could  justify,  or  as  a 
ground  of  hope  for  the  future  exists,  these  gentlemen  have  been 

U* 


162 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


i  i 


most  assiduous  in  pointing  out  sources  of  consolation  and  of  im- 
provement; and  certainly  the  most  cheering  description  of  West 
Indian  positions  and  prospects  that  can,  without  violation  of  truth, 
be  given,  are  those  contained  in  the  able  despatches  and  reports  from 
such  governors  as  Lord  Harris,  Colonel  Reid,  Mr.  Higginson,  or 
Sir  Charles  Grey,  &c.,  to  be  found  in  the  pages  of  the  Blue  Books. 
And  yet  what  do  these  reports  bear?  Do  not  one  and  all  of  them 
bear  out  the  assertions  I  have  advanced-  -that  the  consequence  of 
the  Sugar  Duties  Bill  of  1846  has  been  to  throw  land  out  of  culti- 
vation in  the  British  colonies;  and  that  this  result  is  still  progress- 
ing, and,  if  unchecked,  must  end  in  the  serious  diminution  of  the 
sugar  production  of  the  British  West  Indies?  In  a  despatch  of 
Lord  Harris,  of  18th  September  1847,  after  alluding  to  the  decrease 
in  production,  and  to  the  abandonment  of  estates,  his  Lordship 
gays — "  I  do  not  hesitate  to  express  to  your  Lordship  my  conviction, 
that  if  this  colony  (Trinidad)  is  not  to  be  left  to  subside  into  a  state 
of  comparative  barbarism,  which  would  result  from  the  ruin  of  its 
larger  proprietors,  some  more  than  ordinary  relief  is  necessary  to 
support  it  in  the  contest  which  it,  in  common  with  the  other  British 
West  Indian  colonies,  is  now  engaged  in.  Circumstanced  as  it  is,  / 
believe  it  incapable  of  successfully  competing  in  the  British  market 
with  the  produce  of  countries  in  which  slavery  is  still  permitted." 
Colonel  Reid,  in  1848,  thus  records  his  sentiments — "My  opinion 
is,  that  sugar  cultivation,  by  free  labour,  cannot  yet  withstand  com- 
petition on  equal  terms,  with  slave  labour,  and  that  freedom  should 
be  nursed  by  protection  for  a  considerable  time  to  come."  And 
again — "  If  there  be  no  protection,  the  cultivation  of  sugar  will  be 
further  given  up  in  Granada,  and  it  will  dwindle  in  all  the  Wind- 
ward islands,  excepting  Barbadoes."  It  will  be  kept  in  view  that 
Colonel  Reid  is  only  reporting  as  to  the  islands  composing  the  Wind- 
ward group,  and  that  his  somewhat  questionable  exception,  even,  of 
Little  England,  (Barbadoes,)  is  on  account  of  its  excessive  popula- 
tion making  labour  cheap,  and  thus  enabling  the  planters  in  that 
island  to  hold  head  against  the  competition  of  the  slaveholder.  It  is 
important  that  this  be  kept  in  view,  as  it  bea;^  upon  the  question  of 
remedy,  to  be,  in  conclusion  of  this  chapter,  very  briefly  noticed. 

To  the  same  effect.  Governor-general  Higginson,  writing  from, 
and  mainly  of,  the  populous  and,  as  I  have  already  shown,  com- 
paratively prosperous  island  of  Antigua,  says, — "  It  must  be  con- 
ceded that,  for  obvious  reasons,  free-growu  sugar  can  never  yield  so 
lucrative  a  return  as  that  produced  by  foreign  slaves."  While 
with  equal  definiteness  writes  Sir  Charles  C.  Grey  from  Jamaica, 
on  2l8t  September,  1847,  (and  in  various  other  despatches,) — 
**  There  is  a  sincere  apprehension  amongst  the  persons  most 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  subject,  that,  at  the  present  Lon- 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


163 


n  and  of  im- 
)tion  of  West 
ition  of  truth, 
d  reports  from 
Higginson,  or 
Blue  Books, 
id  all  of  them 
onsequence  of 

I  out  of  culti- 
still  progress- 
inution  of  the 
a  despatch  of 
to  the  decrease 

his  Lordship 
my  conviction, 
de  into  a  state 
\ie  ruin  of  its 
iS  necessary  to 
)  other  British 
iced  as  it  is,  / 
British  market 

II  permitted." 
-"  My  opinion 
withstand  com- 
eedom  should 
come."  And 
•  sugar  will  be 

all  the  Wind- 
t  in  view  that 
ling  the  Wind- 
)tion,  even,  of 
essive  popula- 
mters  in  that 
lolder.     It  is 
le  question  of 
fly  noticed, 
writing  from, 
shown,  corn- 
must  be  con- 
never  yield  so 
^es."     While 
om  Jamaica, 
cspatches,) — 
3ersons   most 
present  Lon- 


don 


of  West  Indian 


prices  of  West  Indian  sugar,  and  the  presr-nt  rate  of  duties,  it 
will  be  impossible  to  carry  on  here^  without  loss  and  ruin,  the  cultiva- 
tion of  sugar  for  exportation." 

Sufficient  as  they  are  for  the  case  I  undertook  to  prove — abund- 
ant as  they  are  to  show,  to  the  satisfaction  of  every  unbiassed  mind, 
that  the  ablest  of  the  representatives  of  the  crown  of  England,  resi- 
dent in  the  West  Indies,  admit  both  the  present  desertion  of 
estates,  and  its  probable  continuance  and  extension,  unless  some- 
thing be  done  to  arrest  its  progress : — the  passages  I  have  quoted 
are  far  from  being  all  that  is  contained,  even  in  the  despatches 
quoted  from,  to  the  same  eflfect.  Neither  have  these  despatches 
been  selected  (any  more  than  are  the  passages  from  them  excerpted) 
with  any  degree  of  care ;  both  are  taken  almost  at  random.  Nearly 
all  the  despatches  from  these  governors  to  the  Colonial  Office,  since 
1840,  have  borne  evidence  to  the  fact  of  West  Indian  decadence, 
and  of  the  impossibility  of  the  British  West  Indian  planter,  with 
the  means  of  labour  at  present  at  his  command,  competing  with  the 
slave-owner  of  Brazil,  Cuba,  or  Porto  Rico.  Does  not  such  evi- 
dence establish  the  assertion  that,  unless  the  British  planter  be 
aided  or  protected  in  some  way,  the  result  must  eventually  be  the 
withdrawal  of  the  British  colonies  from  the  competition  of  the 
sugar  market  ?  And  when  such  result  has  been  produced,  what 
then  becomes  of  the  argument  of  "cheap  sugar"? — that  argument 
by  the  use  of  which  the  people  of  England  were  reconciled  to  the 
adoption  of  a  measure  which  has  depressed  the  value  of  land  in 
the  British  West  Indian  colonies  far  more  than  one  half  and  in- 
creased the  value  of  real  estate  in  Cuba  and  Porto  Bico  fulli/  one 
third.  If  any  one  doubts  this,  let  him  consult  any  capitalist 
acquainted  with  the  subject,  or  let  him  inquire  if,  and  on  what 
terms,  money  can  be  raised  on  the  security  of  a  sugar  estate,  boil- 
ing-works, and  distillery  in  Trinidad  or  Jamaica,  and  on  a  sugar 
plantation  and  an  inyenio  in  Cuba.  The  result  will  more  than 
confirm  my  assertion,  and  startle  the  incredulous  inquirer  not  a 
little. 

But  the  passages  above  quoted  from  some  of  the  despatches  of  the 
Governors  of  the  British  West  Indian  possessions,  remind  me  that 
there  is  yet  another  branch  of  this  subject  which  ought  not  to  be 
wholly  overlooked,  however  shortly  it  may  require  to  be  noticed. 

We  have  hitherto  been  considering  the  subject  exclusively  in  its 
application  to  the  sugar  consumers  in  this  country, — solely  in  a 
selfish  light,  and  in  its  relation  to  the  question  of  cheap  or  dear 
sugar  to  the  people  of  England.  But  Lord  Harris  is  of  opinion, 
that  the  lapsing  of  the  fertile  island  of  Trinidad  into  a  state  of  bar- 
barism may  be  regarded  as  a  not  improbablo  event,  if  the  present 
system  bo  persevered  in ;  and  Jolonel  lieid  feels  convinced  "  that, 


164 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


Mil 


( ■ 


III 


without  protection,  the  most  serious  result  would  not  be  the  loss  of 
sugar ;  but  the  consummatioir  of  the  greatest  act  of  human  legisla- 
tion— ^the  abolition  of  slavery— will  be  retarded,  and  perhaps  en- 
dangered."    Analogous  passages,  from  the  despatches  of  other 
governors,  might  be  quoted  j  and  surely  the  fact  that  such  men, 
so  situated  and  so  experienced,  have  deemed  it  not  merely  their 
province,  but  their  duty,  to  lift  up  their  warning — their  almost 
prophetic  voices — to  that  Government  of  whom  their  appointments 
were  held,  in  the  way  of  caution  against  a  continued  perseverance 
in  the  Ministerial  policy,  is  in  itself  one  of  the  strongest  facts  that 
go  to  prove  the  existence  of  the  danger  which  is  here  referred  to. 
Will  any  man  of  sense  and  reason  permit  himself  to  doubt  that, 
were  the  governors  who  penned  these  admirable  and  truth-telling 
despatches  to  be  now  appointed  a  commission,  with  power  to  legis- 
late for  the  West  Indian  colonies  in  their  relationship  to  the  mother 
country,  their  very  first  act  would  bo  to  make  a  very  serious  inroad 
upon  the  principles  of  that  legislation  which  influenced  the  Sugar 
Duties  Bills  of  1846  and  1848  ?    It  is  impossible  to  doubt  but  that 
such  would  be  the  case  ?     And  again,  does  not  this  in  itself  prove 
the  necessity  for  the  immediate  adoption  of  remedial  measures  ? 
That  a  body  of  enlightened  men — chosen  because  fit  to  govern  in 
tropical  climes — after  residing  for  years  in  the  society  and  midst 
the  scenes  of  which  they  write,  have  (many  of  them,  in  the  face  of 
preconceived  opinions,  which  retarded  conviction)  arrived  at  the 
conclusions,  1st.  That  slave-grown  produce  will  drive  free-grown 
produce  out  of  the  market  altogether  j  and  2d.  That,  if  this  be  the 
issue,  the  British  colonies  will  lapse  into  barbarism — appears  to 
me  to  be  the  strongest  of  all  possible  reasons  for  urging  the  adop- 
tion of  some  measures  of  relief     If  it  be  said  that  the  statements 
of  these  governors  is  but  testimony — evidence  capable  of  being 
rebutted  by  contrary  proof;  I  answer — Be  it  so.     But  it  is  at  least 
testimony  omni  eocceptione  major — the  evidence  of  persons  entitled 
to  the  very  fullest  belief — at  all  events,  until  an  equal  amount  of 
unexceptionable  testimony  has  been  adduced  on  the  other  side  of 
the  question.     Let  it  also  be  observed,  that  this  testimony  to  West 
Indian  decadence,  thus  drawn  from  despatches  sent  to  the  Govern- 
ment, is  altogether  apart  from,  und  independent  of,  the  testimony 
of  the  British  West  Indian  planters  themselves — men  who  have 
been  so  often  and  so  undeservedly  accused  of  making  a  parade  of 
their  distress. 

And  why  should  it  bo  doubted,  either  that  the  non-profitable 
cultivation  of  a  sugar  estate  and  the  unrcmunerativc  working  of  a 
boiling-house  and  distillery,  should  lead  to  their  abandonment? 
or  that  the  abandonment  of  tha  cultivation  should  lead  to  the  laps- 
ing of  the  colonies  into  a  utate  of  worse  than  pristine  barbarism  ? 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


165 


)e  the  loss  of 
iman  legisla- 
l  perhaps  en- 
lies  of  other 
at  such  men, 
merely  their 
-their  almost 
appointments 
perseverance 
;est  facts  that 
)  referred  to. 

0  doubt  that, 

1  truth-telling 
Dwer  to  legis- 
to  the  mother 
serious  inroad 
3ed  the  Sugar 
loubt  but  that 
in  itself  prove 
ial  measures? 
t  to  govern  in 
ety  and  midst 

in  the  face  of 

rrived  at  the 

ve  free-grown 

if  this  be  the 

1 — appears  to 

ing  the  adop- 

he  statements 

able  of  being 

it  it  is  at  least 

rsons  entitled 

lal  amount  of 

I  other  side  of 

Qony  to  West 

:>  the  Govern- 

he  testimony 

len  who  have 

g  a  parade  of 

aon-profitable 
^working  of  a 
~  landonment  ? 

d  to  the  laps- 
barbarism  ? 


The  first  is  simply  the  operation  of  the  law  of  self-preservation. 
Tropical  agriculture,  and  sugar  and  rum-making,  are  not  carried 
on  by  the  British  any  more  than  by  the  Spanish  planter  as  a 
luxury,  or  for  his  own  gratification ;  nor  are  these  operations  con- 
ducted save  at  very  heavy  annual  outlay  and  expense.  People  will 
carry  on  a  losing  trade  so  long  as  previously  made  profits  and  capi- 
tal last,  or  as  there  is  hope  of  the  dawn  of  a  brighter  state  of 
things.  But  the  ceasing  of  the  profits  will  sooner  or  later  lead  to 
the  exhaustion  of  the  capital;  and,  there  being  no  "  star  of  hope" 
seen  in  the  horizon  of  the  future,,  it  is  only  in  accordance  with  a 
principle  of  self-preservation,  that  the  cultivation  and  the  manu- 
factuie  should  be  eventually  given  up. 

And  if  the  cultivation  of  the  sugar-cane,  and  the  manufacture 
and  distillation  of  its  juice  be  abandoned,  what  is  there  to  induce 
the  British  colonists  to  remain  in  the  West  Indies  ?  Does  any  one 
imagine  that  it  is  from  the  love  of  a  tropical  climate,  or  of  tropical 
scenery,  that  the  Europeiia  conducts  his  operations  under  the  swel- 
tering heat  of  an  almost  vertical  sun  ?  Does  any  one  think  that 
there  is  anything  like  a  considerable  body  of  the  white  population 
in  the  West  Indies,  who  would  remain  in  them  one  hour  longer 
than  they  can  help,  if  all  hope  of  the  profitable  cultivation  of  these 
colonies  were  at  an  end  ?  If  so,  such  person  labours  under  a  griev- 
ous misconception.  There  are  many  charming  things  to  be  seen 
and  tasted  within  the  tropics.  Tropical  nights  are  very  lovely ; 
tropical  trees  are  ofttimes  very  graceful ;  some  tropical  dishes  and 
fruits- -turtle-soup  and  pine-apples  in  particular — are  very  deli- 
cious. But  these,  and  all  other  tropical  luxuries  besides,  would 
not  suffice  to  detain  our  enterprising  fellow-countrymen  or  their 
fair  companions  within  the  torrid  zone,  were  it  not  that  they  have 
hitherto  found  it  to  be  their  interest  to  be  there.  The  fair  lady  of 
British  birth,  whom  love  or  duty  has  caused  to  make  the  beautiful 
islands  of  the  Western  Archipelago  her  temporary  home ;  or  her 
equally  fair  countrywoman  of  Creole  origin,  born  of  British  parent- 
age but  within  the  tropic  line,  may  give  an  occasional  shudder,  and 
draw  her  shawl  or  cloak  closer  around  her  form,  as  she  listens  to 
or  feels  tlie  blasts  of  a  northern  winter.  But  I  am  quite  sure  that 
I  declare  the  sentiments  of  the  great  mass  of  the  European  inha- 
bitants of  the  British  West  Indies,  when  I  say,  th.at  there  is  not 
one  of  them  who  would  consent  to  exchange  for  ever  the  bracing 
influences  and  fond  associations  of  Great  Britain,  for  all  the  bright- 
ness of  that  tropic  sun — 

*'  Which  scorches  those  it  beams  upon." 
Nay,  more,  I  venture  to  assert,  that  the  vast  majority  of  the  par- 


166 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


till 


ties  I  refer  to  would  not  consent  to  remain  in  the  West  Indies  one 
year  longer  than  interest,  duty,  or  necessity  required. 

If  there  be  any  one  who  doubts  this,  let  him  introduce  the  topic 
on  board  a  West  Indian  steamer,  and  among  a  party  expatriating 
themselves  from  England,  and  as  the  steamer  slowly  progresses  in 
her  souih-west  course.  And  if  it  be  imagined  that  it  is  the  tender 
recollections  of  those  ties  they  are  leaving  behind  them,  that  so 
moves  the  whole  party  to  confess  their  love  for  England  as  a  place 
of  permanent  residence,  let  the  inquirer  observe  how  the  eye  flashes, 
and  the  cheek  kindles,  among  the  family  circles  in  the  best  of  the 
West  Indian  mansions,  when  the  conversation  turns  upon  the  far- 
off  home  on  English  ground.  No !  There  is  not,  there  cannot  be, 
a  doubt  of  tue  fact.  So  soon  as  the  West  Indian  colonies  cease  to 
be  valuable  possessions  for  the  culture  of  the  sugar-cane  and  the 
manufacture  of  its  juices  into  sugar  and  into  rum,  from  that  hour 
we  may  date  the  commencement  of  their  abandonment  as  places  of 
residence  or  colonization  by  Europeans.  This  may  be  predicated 
of  all  the  islands  in  the  Western  Archipelago,  whether  they  belong 
to  England,  France,  Spain,  Denmark,  Holland,  or  Sweden.  But 
the  observation  has  a  peculiar  appositeness  and  propriety,  when 
considered  with  reference  to  the  feelings  usually,  and  in  the  West 
Indies  pre-eminently,  entertained  by  British  colonists  towards  the 
mother  country.  It  has  been  remarked  as  frequently  as  justly  chat, 
great  as  England  has  been  and  is  as  a  colonizing  country,  the  fact 
of  her  being  so  has  not  proceeded  from  any  dislike  entertained  by 
her  emigrant  children  towards  the  land  of  their  nativity.  No  colo- 
nists in  the  world  carry  abroad  with  them  a  greater  love  of  home, 
more  intense  feelings  of  patriotism,  or  a  larger  amount  of  the  amor 
patriae,  than  do  the  colonists  that  leave  her  shores  for  settlement 
on  a  distant  strand.  To  prove  this  fact,  examples  might  be  selected 
almost  from  every  quarter  of  the  globe.  As  a  general  rule,  the 
colonists  of  Great  Britain  sympathize  in  every  home  feeling.  Of 
England  they  may  truly  say  that — 

"Each  flash  of  her  genius  their  pathway  enlighten?, 
Every  field  she  explores  they  are  beckoned  to  tread; 
Each  laurel  she.  gathers  their  i^uturo  day  brightens ; 
They  rejoice  with  her  living,  and  mourn  with  her  dead." 

Of  this  patriotic  feeling  of  our  colonial  fellow-subjects,  towards 
the  "  queen  of  the  islands"  whence  they  have  sprung,  and  with 
which  they  are  connected,  the  traveller  among  the  islands  of  the 
West  Indian  archipelago  will  have  abundant  and  frequent  evidence. 
"  Home"  is  the  term  universally  applied  to  England  by  the  white 
inhabitants  of  the  British  West  Indian  possessions.  And  in  a 
periodical,  oft-repeated  visit  to  that  "  home,"  is  to  be  found  the 


tht 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


1C7 


st  Indies  one 

ace  the  topic 
f  expatriating 
progresses  in 
i  is  the  tender   | 
them,  that  so  ' 
ind  as  a  place  ' 
he  eye  flashes, 
le  best  of  the 
upon  the  far- 
ere  cannot  be, 
lonies  cease  to 
-cane  and  the 
Tom  that  hour 
iut  as  places  of 
be  predicated 
er  they  belong 
Sweden.     But 
ropriety,  when 
d  in  the  West 
3ts  towards  the 
as  justly  chat, 
untry,  the  fact 
entertained  by 
ivity.  No  colo- 
love  of  home, 
int  of  the  amor 
for  settlement 
ght  be  selected 
acral  rule,  the 
feeling.     Of 


i; 

lead." 

bjects,  towards 
■ung,  and  with 
islands  of  the 
uent  evidence, 
by  the  white 
is.  And  in  a 
be  found  the 


most  highly  prized  of  all  the  British  colonist's  pleasures  of  memory 
and  of  hope. 

Impressed  with  these  convictions,  I  cannot  suppose  that  any  per- 
son acquainted  either  with  West  Indian  climate,  culture,  and  manu- 
facture, or  versant  in  the  feelings  of  the  white  and  even  the  coloured 
population  of  the  British  colonies,  will  contradict  my  assertion— 
that  the  cessation  of  cane-cultivation  in  the  British  West  Indies 
would  eventuate  in  their  total  abandonment  by  their  present  pro- 
prietors. The  change  might  be  very  gradual;  most  probably  it 
T/oul ".  oe  60 :  but,  if  there  be  any  soundness  in  the  premises  which 
have  guided  me  thus  far  in  my  reasoning,  it  would  certainly  be  very 
sure.  And  if  the  period  so  to  be  anticipated  should  ever  come,  in 
what  state  would  it  leave  these  at  present  noble  possessions  ?  and 
what  would  then  become  of  all  that  has  been  done,  at  such  cost  of 
life  and  treasure,  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  Negro  race  in 
the  British  West  Indies  ?  To  what  state  would  the  colonics  them- 
selves be  reduced  ?  Would  any  other  nation  be  disposed  to  take  up 
what  England  had  thus  thrown  away  ?  Suppose  England  to  permit 
this  to  be  done,  what  people  would  be  inclined  to  try  so  Quixotic  an 
experiment — unless  indeed  under  a  return  to  a  system,  or  a  modified 
system,  of  slavery  ? 

Is  the  Negro  population  of  the  West  Indies  yet  in  a  fit  state  for 
self-government?  With  St.  Domingo  experience  ringing  in  his 
ears,  he  would  be  a  bold  man  who  would  express  much  confidence  in 
an  afl&rmative  answer  to  this  question.  And  even  though  such 
answer  could  be  with  confidence  given,  on  what  principle  is  it  ex- 
pected that  Negroes,  under  Negro  domination,  would  work  with  ad- 
vantage that  soil  which  British  energy  had  given  up  in  despair  ?  It 
were  bootless,  however,  to  prosecute  the  subject  further ;  it  is  sufii- 
cient  to  point  attention  to  the  possibility  of  such  events  resulting 
from  a  continued  perseverance  in  a  certain  line  of  policy.  If  there 
be  any  reasonable  amount  of  truth  in  the  statements  which  governors, 
planters,  professional  residents,  and  occasional  visitors  have,  for  the 
last  four  years,  been  pouring  forth,  as  to  the  practical  eftbcts  pro- 
duced by  British  legislation  on  the  cultivation  of  the  sugar-cane  in 
England's  noble  colonial  possessions  in  the  West  Indies,  the  possi- 
bility becomes  a  probability.  The  conclusion  is  so  manifest  that 
there  seems  to  be  no  mode  of  evadinijr  it,  save  by  a  denial  of  the 
premises  on  which  it  is  based.  Whether  there  are  grounds  on  which 
;  such  a  denial  can  be  supported,  is  a  (juestion  that  will  be  answered 
by  each  one  according  to  his  leanings,  or  to  his  vie\vs  of  the  evidence. 
The  views  recorded  iu  this  chapter  are  those  formed  on  personal  and 
-  dispassionate  observation ;  and,  midst  the  distrust  incident  to  pro- 
mulgating opinions  on  a  (juestion  involving  great  interests,  and  to 
the  expiscation  and  settlement  of  which  great — the  greatest — talents 


1i 


168 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


have  been  devoted,  it  certainly  gratifies  and  encourages  the  writer 
not  a  little  to  observe  that,  however  ingenious,  and  however  ably 
advocated,  may  have  been  the  opinions  of  an  opposite  nature,  the 
great  majority  of  those  men  who  have  visited  the  West  Indies,  and 
who  are  practically  acquainted  with  West  Indian  a%ir8,  have  ex- 
pressed opinions  of  a  confirmatory  nature — have  done  so  whatever 
may  have  been  the  nature  of  their  business,  or  the  objects  of  their 
visit. 

Buo  it  may  be  said  that  all  the  preceding  argument  is  based  upon 
an  assumption.  I  admit  that  it  is  so.  It  is  acknowledged  that, 
throughout  the  preceding  reasoning — or  rather,  as  the  foundation  of 
th'r'  easoning — it  has  been  assumed  that,  in  the  present  state  of  the 
h  ufour  market  in  the  British  West  Indies,  the  produce  of  free  labour 
i\ii>M.  compete  with  that  of  slave  labour,  as  regards  the  cost  of  pro- 
dn'Jioi'  In  other  words,  I  have  reasoned  on  the  assumption  that 
the  oft-^.iu  ed  and  much-abused  dictum,  that  free  labour  is  as  cheap 
as  slave  labour,  has  been  found  to  be  fallacious  when  applied  to 
sugar-cultivation  within  the  tropics.  It  is  said  that  this  has  been 
taken  for  granted — and  I  would  deem  it  a  reprehensible  waste  of  my 
reader's  time  to  occupy  it  by  proving  at  length  a  position  so  clear  as 
is  the  one  thus  assumed.  It  is  demonstrated  by  the  experience  of 
the  past — particularly  by  that  of  the  last  four  years ;  and  a  very 
brief  summary  of  facts  will  show  that  it  is  so. 

The  duties  at  present  exigible  in  Great  Britain^  on  foreign  and 
colonial  sugar,  are  as  follows  :— 


FOREIGN. 

White  clayed  siif^ar,  or  equal  thereto, 
Brown  clayed  sugar,  or  equal  thereto, 
Muscovado,  or  not  equal  to  brown  clayed, 

COLONIAL. 

White  clayed  or  equal  thereto, 
Muscovado,  or  not  equal  to  white  clayed, 


193.  lOd.  per  cwt. 
18s.    6d.      " 
17s.    Od.      " 


143.    Od. 
129.    Od. 


On  a  general  view  of  this  table,  it  would  seem  that,  at  present,  there 
is  a  protective  duty  of  nearly  6s.  per  hundredweight  in  favour  of  the 
produce  of  British  colonies.  But  in  operation  it  is  not  so;  and  that 
not  merely  because  the  greater  part  of  the  foreign  slave-grown  sugar, 
imported  into  this  country,  is  generally  of  relatively  higher  value 
than  the  sugar  brought  from  our  own  colonies,  (so  much  more 
valuable  that,  quantity  considered,  foreign  and  colonial  sugar  may 
even  at  present  be  considered  to  be  on  an  equality,)  but  also  because 
there  are  three  scales  of  duty  applicable  to  foreign  sugars,  while 
there  are  only  two  that  apply  to  colonial.  The  groat  mass  of  the 
foreign  sugars  brought  into  England  for  consumption,  is  of  the  kind 
called  "  brown  clayed,  or  equal  thereto,"  which  at  present  (in  March 
1850)  pays  a  duty  of  18s.  6J.  per  cwt.;  and,  if  the  foreign  sugar 


impoi 

foreig 

sugar^ 

comes 

duty  ( 

fairly 

ed,  wl 

tity  0 

partici 

inferic 

tinuc, 

the  B 

applic 

But 

sugar 

been  a 

ferenti 

1851, 

per  cw 

sugar 

gradua 

until  { 

colonia 

then  b( 

What  < 

and  wh 

British 

and  on 

gathere 

One 

the  sla^ 

the  sug 

llico. 

exclude 

British 

product 

duced  V, 

so  low 

year,  tl 

142,24( 

average 

I the  incn 

I  the  dcm 

Now, 

Icipation 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


1G9 


OS  the  writer 
liowever  ahVy 
e  nature,  the 
it  Indies,  and 
lirs,  have  ex- 
80  whatever 
bjects  of  their 

is  based  upon 
wledged  that, 

foundation  of 
?nt  state  of  the 
of  free  labour 
he  cost  of  pro- 
jsumption  that 
)ur  is  as  cheap 
en  applied  to 

this  has  been 
lie  waste  of  my 
tion  so  clear  as 
>  experience  of 
and  a  very 


rs 


n  foreign  and 


,  per  cwt. 


;  present,  there 
n  favour  of  the 
)t  so;  and  that 
ve-grown  sugar, 
higher  value 
so   much  more 
nial  sugar  may 
ut  also  because 
sugars,  while 
it  nrass  of  the 
,  is  of  the  kind 
sent  (iu  March 


n 


foreign 


sugar 


imported  docs  not  come  quite  up  to  that  standard,  it  is  admitted  afl 
foreign  muscovado,  &c.,  at  a  duty  of  17s.  per  cwt.  Now  this  foreign 
sugar,  admitted  at  17s.  per  cwt.  (nearly  the  whole  of  it  slave-grown) 
comes  into  competition  with  the  colonial  muscovado,  which  pays  a 
duty  of  12s.  per  cwt.  The  diflFerential  duty,  therefore,  cannot  be 
fairly  called  more  than  5s.  per  cwt. — a  difference,  quality  consider- 
ed, which  practically  amounts  to  no  protection  at  all.  A  large  quan- 
tity of  the  British  colonial  sugar  imported  into  Great  Britain,  and 
particularly  much  of  that  brought  from  the  West  Indies,  is  of  an 
inferior  kind  j  and,  even  were  the  present  state  of  things  to  con- 
tinue, it  seems  obvious  that  it  would  be  an  equitable  advantage  to 
the  British  colonist,  were  there  a  third  and  a  lower  scale  of  duty, 
applicable  to  a  third  and  an  inferior  description  of  colonial  sugar. 

But  to  return  to  the  general  argument — While  the  duties  on  the 
sugar  imported  into  Great  Britain  are  for  the  present  as  they  have 
been  above-stated,  they  are  in  a  transition  stat<  ^o  far  as  it  is  dif- 
ferential, the  duty  will  in  a  short  time  be  equa^iic;  On  5th  July, 
1851,  the  duty  on  British  plantation  sugar  v  1  be  ..sduced  to  10s. 
per  cwt.,  but,  at  the  same  time,  the  duty  c^^  ic  "''ign  brown  clayed 
sugar  will  be  reduced  to  15s.  6d.  per  cwt.  j  rA  thereafter,  by  a 
gradually  descending  scale,  this  differential  duty  will  annually  lessen 
until  3d  July,  1854,  when  it  will  disa^  ?r  altogether,  and  the 
colonial  and  foreign  sugars  (slave-grown  as  well  as  free-grown)  will 
then  be  admitted  at  the  uniform  and  equal  rate  of  10s.  per  cwt. 
What  effect  an  approximation  to  this  state  of  things  has  already  had, 
and  what  effect  its  complete  realization  must  necessarily  have  on 
British  interests,  on  sugar  cultivation  in  the  British  West  Indies, 
and  on  the  destinies  of  the  African  race,  enslaved  and  free,  may  be 
gathered  from  the  following  facts : — 

One  of  the  consequences  which  resulted  from  the  emancipation  of 
the  slaves,  in  the  British  West  Indian  possessions,  was,  to  decrease 
the  sugar  production  in  them,  and  to  increase  it  in  Cuba  and  Porto 
Rico.  This  was  the  case,  even  while  foreign  sugars  were  virtually 
excluded  from  the  English  market.  The  fact  of  the  decrease  in  the 
British  colonies  appears  from  statistics  already  given.  In  1834,  the 
production  was  above  190,000  tons.  Next  year  the  quantity  pro- 
duced was  less;  and  it  continued  to  fall  off  till  1841,  when  it  was 
so  low  as  107,500  tons.     Since  1841  it  has  improved ;  and  last 

Syear,  the  quantity  exported  from  the  British  West  Indies  was 
„  142,240  tons,  exclusive  of  molasses.  But  it  has  never  reached  the 
\  average  production  previous  to  emancipation,  notwithstanding  that 
i  the  increase  of  the  sugar-consuming  population  has  greatly  increased 
1  the  demand. 

Now,  while  such  has  been  one  of  the  consequences  of  the  Eman- 
cipation Act  upon  the  British  West  Indian  colonies,  what  has  been 


%| 


170 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


fi 


its  results  in  the  colonics  of  Spain — that  country  whose  colonial 
dependencies,  aided  by  Brazil,  produce  that  slave-grown  sugar,  which 
is  the  great  competitor  of  free-grown  produce  in  the  markets  of 
Europe  ?  Here  we  are  presented  with  a  very  different  state  of  mat- 
ters. Since  1843,  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico  have  more  than  trebled 
their  productions.  In  1828,  they  exported  only  93,000  tons  of 
sugar  J  in  1847  they  exported  305,000  tons.  But  here  let  me 
anticipate  an  objection  to  the  application  of  the  fact  last  stated,  as 
aiding  the  argument  in  hand.  It  may  be  seen,  that  the  great  increase 
in  the  production  of  sugar  in  Cuba  and  Porto  Rico,  in  1847,  was 
mainly  owing  to  the  impetus  given  to  the  cultivation  in  these  islands, 
by  the  English  Sugar  Duties  Bill  of  1846.  No  doubt  such  is  the 
fact ;  but,  instead  of  militating  against  it,  the  fact  assists  the  present 
reasoning.  It  shows  that  slave  labour  in  the  tropics  is  so  much 
cheaper  than  free  labour,  that  the  former  can  afford  to  give  the  latter 
great  seeming  advantages,  and  yet  undersell  it ;  and,  apart  from 
this,  it  points  attention  to  tho  true  cause  why,  since  Emancipation, 
sugar  production  has  fallen  off  in  the  British  colonial  possessions — 
that  cause  being  the  felt  deficiency  in  the  means  of  labour.  .  .  . 
For  be  it  remembered  that  it  is  only  in  its  connexion  with  the  pre- 
sent condition  of  the  labour  market  in  the  British  West  Indies,  that 
it  is  said  that  "  free  labour  cannot  compete  with  slave  labour."  In- 
deed, it  is  here  that  the  essence  of  the  great  West  Indian  question 
may  be  said  to  lie.  As  an  abstract  proposition,  I  do  not  doubt,  or 
rather  I  should  be  sorry  to  doubt,  the  equality,  nay,  the  superiority 
of  the  labour  of  freemen  over  the  tasked  labour  of  slaves.  But  it 
is  the  circumstance  which  makes  the  case  of  the  British  West  Indian 
planter  an  exceptional  case — a  casus  improvisus  in  free-trade  legisla- 
tion, that,  while  a  largo  portion  of  the  '*  power"  he  had,  wherewith 
to  conduct  his  agricultural  and  manufacturing  operations,  has  been 
taken  from  him,  no  adequate  attempt  has  been  made  to  redeem  the 
promise  that  a  substitute  for  it  would  be  provided. 

Nor  can  this  result  surprise  any  one  acquainted,  even  in  a  slight 
degree,  with  slave  labour  and  free  labour  within  the  tropic  line.  The 
Emancipation  Act  of  1843  diminished  the  production  of  the  British 
colonies,  because  it  lessened  the  number  of  the  labourers  who  tilled 
the  fields  and  conducted  the  manufacturing  operations.  And  the 
same  statute,  coupled  with  the  Sugar  Duties  Act  of  1846,  increased 
the  production  of  Cuba,  Porto  Rico,  &c.,  because,  while  they  opened 
up  to  the  planters  in  these  fertile  islands  an  extensive  new  market 
for  their  produce,  they  had  the  means  of  coercing  their  existing 
labourers  to  extra,  and,  unfortunately,  ofttimes  to  excessive  exertion, 
and  also  of  getting,  from  without,  such  additional  workmen  as  it 
might  be  their  interest  to  purchase  or  employ.  Both  results  were 
the  most  natural  that  could  be  conceived.     Before  emancipation, 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


171 


vhose  colonial 
n  sugar,  which 
ho  markets  of 
it  state  of  mat- 
e  than  trebled 
13,000  tons  of 
t  here  let  me 
last  stated,  as 
I  great  increase 
,  in  1847,  was 
1  these  islands, 
dt  such  is  the 
ists  the  present 
cs  is  so  much 
give  the  latter 
id,  apart  from 
Emancipation, 
possessions — 
hour.  .  .  . 
I  with  the  pre- 
est  Indies,  that 
!  labour."  In- 
adian  question 
not  doubt,  or 
be  superiority 
avcs.  But  it 
ih  West  Indian 
e-trade  legisla- 
lad,  wherewith 
ions,  has  been 
to  redeem  the 

n  in  a  slight 
opic  line.  The  i 
of  the  British 
ers  who  tilled 
ns.  And  the 
846,  increased 
le  they  opened 
e  new  market 
their  existing 
ssive  exertion, 
jrorkmen  as  it 
b  results  were 
emancipation, 


there  was  no  exuberance  of  supply  in  the  labour  market  of  the 
British  colonies.  The  slaves  were  all  profitably  engaged.  But  the 
gradual  consequence  of  that  measure  was  the  withdrawal  of  a  por- 
tion of  the  labourers  to  other  pursuits  and  occupations.  The  produc- 
tion, therefore,  fell  off.  But  the  demand  for  the  article  produced 
continued,  and  was  increasing.  Whence,  then,  was  that  demand  to 
be  thereafter  supplied,  if  not  from  those  differently  situated  proprie- 
tors whose  means  of  labour  continued,  and  who  had  opportunity  of 
adding  to  them  to  any  extent  expedient  or  necessary  ?  The  duty, 
amounting  to  a  prohibition,  was  the  only  obstacle :  that  removed, 
the  result  was  plain — and  it  as  plainly  was  the  one  that  might  have 
been  predicted  from  the  beginning. 

The  argument  would  be  incomplete,  were  notice  not  taken  of  the 
fact  that  there  is,  in  the  very  nature  of  cane  cultivation  and  sugar- 
making  in  the  tropics,  something  which  places  the  agriculturist  or 
manufacturer,  who  is  imperfectly  supplied  with  workpeople,  or 
who  has  an  imperfect  control  over  them,  at  a  peculiar  disadvan- 
tage, when  he  is  called  on  to  compete  with  such  proprietors  as  can 
command  a  sufficient  amount  of  labour  at  the  time  it  is  required. 
The  planting  season  and  crop-time  are  the  two  periods  of  the  year 
in  which  the  farmer  and  sugar-maker,  within  the  tropics,  require 
special  aid.  It  is  literally  true  that,  at  these  seasons,  ho  can 
scarcely  have  too  many  labourers.  At  other  times  he  may  com- 
pensate for  the  want  of  labour  in  one  point  of  his  operations, 
by  drawing  it  from  another ;  but,  during  the  seasons  of  planting 
and  of  sugar-making,  he  cannot  proceed  with  too  great  rapidity. 
Hence  it  is  that,  in  Cuba  and  Porto  Ilico,  when  cane-cutting  is 
once  commenced,  it  and  the  consequent  operations  in  the  boiling- 
house  are  carried  on  without  intermission,  till  the  whole  crop  is 
secured  and  manufactured  into  sugar — the  slaves  working  in  re- 
lays or  gangs,  each  for  about  six  hours  at  a  time.  Great  advan- 
tages are  thu.s  secured  as  regards  quantity  and  quality  of  production 
and  economy  of  working.  The  canes  are  cut  at  the  proper  time. 
No  time  is  lost  in  securing  all  the  juice  that  can  be  extracted  from 
them  by  the  mill ;  and,  the  latter  being  kept  continuously  going, 
there  is  not  only  a  plentiful  stream  of  liquor  for  the  operations  of 
the  boiling-house,  but  (and  perhaps  this  is  one  of  the  greatest  ad- 
vantages of  getting  over  "  crop-time  "  as  speedily  as  possible)  the 
conduits  are  not  allowed  to  run  dry,  and  perchance  to  "  sour," 
to  the  injury  of  the  whole  maLufacturc,  or  of  a  considerable  part 
of  it. 

But,  from  the  cause  already  assigned — from  the  diminution  in 
the  number  of  the  labourers  for  the  cane-field,  or  for  the  mill  and 
boiling-house — such  desirable  rapidity  and  continuity  of  operations 
is  not  generally  practicable  in  the  British  plantations.     This  po;  1- 


172 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


; !:::!! 


tion  could  be  illustrated  by  the  mention  of  many  very  strong  in- 
stances of  injury  aLd  expense,  resulting  from  the  operations  being 
delayed  through  the  deficiency  of  labour  or  the  difiiculty  of  getting 
the  Negroes  to  work.  I  prefer,  however,  narrating  an  illustrative 
incident,  which  occurred  under  my  own  observation :  it  is  a  case 
somewhat  in  point ;  and  if  it  wants  the  power  of  being  an  extreme 
case,  it  has  at  least  the  claim  of  being  fact,  meipso  teste. 

When  riding  in  the  island  of  Antigua  with  my  friend  Mr.  Mar- 
tin, he  observed  that  the  windmill  on  one  of  his  estates  had  sud- 
denly ceased  to  revolve.  On  inquiry  at  the  sugar-works,  it  was 
ascertained  that  the  cause  of  cessation  was  a  deficiency  in  the  sup- 
ply of  canes.  Aware  that,  if  his  arrangements  had  been  duly 
carried  out,  this  should  not  have  occurred,  Mr.  Martin  immedi- 
ately proceeded  to  the  cane-field,  at  which  the  reapers,  or  rather 
"  cutters,"  were  at  work.  There  he  learned  the  nature  of  the  ob- 
stacle which  was  interrupting  the  proceedings  at  the  mill  j  while  I 
was  not  a  little  interested,  and  somewhat  amused,  by  the  discussion 
which  ensued  between  my  friend  and  the  Negro  overseer,  relative 
to  the  subject  which  had  brought  us  to  the  field.  Like  the  other 
proprietors  on  the  island,  Mr.  Martin  had  succeeded  in  getting  the 
wages  of  the  field  labourers  reduced  to  about  three-fourths  of  what 
they  had  been  during  the  preceding  year.  But,  during  crop-time 
of  that  preceding  year.  Sambo  had  been  in  use  to  cut  four  loads 
of  canes  each  working-day,  and  his  reasoning  now  was,  that,  as  his 
wages  had  been  reduced  one-fourth,  it  was  right  and  fair  that  his 
work  should  diminish  in  an  equal  ratio — a  position  to  which  he 
stuck  with  no  little  pertinacity,  and  defended  with  no  little  inge- 
nuity. Intimately  acquainted  with  Negro  character,  the  intelli- 
gent proprietor  of  the  estate  gratified  the  "  Negro  love  for  talk 
with  massa,"  by  arguing  with  his  people  on  the  unreasonableness 
of  supposing  that,  while  "  slave  competition "  compelled  him  to 
lower  wages  one-fourth,  the  reduction  would  benefit  either  him  or 
them,  if  the  work  done  was  lessened  to  an  equal  extent ;  and  his 
argument,  (coupled  with  promise  of  additional  pay  fur  extra  work 
beyond  the  four  loads,)  produced  the  desired  result,  and  enabled 
the  operations  of  the  mill  and  of  the  boiling-house  to  be  immedi- 
ately resumed. 

Apart,  therefore,  from  the  question  of  wages,  (which  is  a  very 
obvious  one,)  the  free  cultivator  of  the  British  possessions  in  the 
West  Indian  Archipelago  labours  under  a  disadvantage  in  conduct- 
ing his  operations,  as  compared  with  the  slave  cultivator  of  Cuba, 
Porto  Rico,  or  Brasil. 

But  not  to  exhaust  the  patience  of  the  reader,  or  to  allow  this 
Chapter  to  extend  beyond  proper  and  prescribed  limits,  I  must 
now  hasten  to  a  conclusion,  by  devoting  a  few  pages  to  the  consi- 


dera 
towa 
prev( 
bran 
tions 


cry  strong  in- 
erations  being 
ulty  of  getting 
an  illustrative 
n  :  it  is  a  case 
ng  an  extreme 
teste. 

iend  Mr.  Mar- 
tates  had  sud- 
-works,  it  was 
icy  in  the  sup- 
ad  been  duly 
artin  immedi- 
)ers,  or  rather 
urc  of  the  ob- 

mill ;  while  I 
the  discussion 
jrseer,  relative 
jike  the  other 
in  getting  the 
)urths  of  what 
ring  crop-time 
put  four  loads 
IS;  that,  as  his 

fair  that  his 
a  to  which  he 
tto  little  inge- 
ir,  the  intelli- 
love  for  talk 
easonableness 
)clled  him  to 
either  him  or 
tent;  and  his 
or  extra  work 

and  enabled 
io  be  immedi- 

lich  is  a  very 
ssions  in  the 
;e  in  conduct- 
itor  of  Cuba, 

to  allow  this 
mits,  I  must 
to  the  cousi- 


BRITISII  WEST  INDIES. 


173 


deration  of  the  remedies  that  ought  to  be,  or  that  m.ay  bo,  applied 
towards  the  alleviation  or  the  removal  of  West  Indian  distress.  To 
prevent  misconception,  the  remarks  to  be  made  on  this  important 
branch  of  the  subject  are  prefaced  with  the  two  following  observa- 
tions : — In  the  first  place,  it  were  only  prejudice  to  deny  that  the 
question  is  one  which  is  attended  with  many  and  serious  difficul- 
ties. Audi  alteram  partem  is  a  principle  of  wise  legislation,  as 
well  as  of  judicial  proceedure ;  and,  amid  the  conflicting  claims 
created  by  the  multiplied  ramifications  of  British  commerce  and 
British  interests,  it  is  no  easy  matt:r  for  the  legislature  to  deter- 
mine what  course  to  pursue  for  the  attainment  of  the  desired  end 
— even  after  the  conclusion  has  been  arrived  at,  that  national  faith 
with  the  West  Indian  proprietors  has  not  been  kept,  that  great  in- 
justice has  been  done  them,  and  that  they  have  been  unfairly  ex- 
posed to  a  ruinous  competition,  the  final  issue  of  which  is  likely  to 
defeat  the  very  object  for  which  it  has  been  permitted.  But 
though  the  road  which  leads  to  it  be  intricate  and  difficult,  the  end, 
when  arrived  at,  is  satisfactory  and  clear.  Though  it  be  t.ue  that 
here,  as  in  most  other  cases  of  wrong  and  rectification,  it  has  been 
easier  to  point  to  the  injury  than  to  the  means  or  mode  of  cure, 
there  are  no  parts  of  the  observations  recorded  in  this  Chapter  on 
this  great  national  question,  of  the  soundness  of  which  a  stronger 
opinion  is  entertained  by  the  writer,  than  those  in  which,  in  as  few 
words  as  possible,  he  will  now  record  the  opinions  to  which  his 
review  of  the  subject  has  brought  him,  regarding  the  course  to  be 
pursued  in  order  most  efi'ectually  and  permanently  to  cheapen  tho 
price  of  sugar ;  to  do  justice  to  the  West  Indian  colonists  ;  to  re- 
suscitate the  British  possessions  in  the  Western  Archipelago ;  and 
to  suppress  the  slave  trade  and  slavery  all  over  the  world. 

In  the  second  place,  while  the  measures  to  be  suggested,  and  to 
some  extent  advocated,  are  those  which  appear  most  obviously  requi- 
site for  the  realisation  of  the  objects  above  stated,  and  while  they  ad- 
mittedly involve  the  abnegation  of  the  policy  which  dictated  the  legis- 
lation of  184G  and  1848,  on  the  question  of  the  sugar  duties,  it  is 
not  asserted  either  that  there  are  no  other  measures  of  eflx3ctual  and 
permanent  relief,  or  that  some  means  of  alleviation  may  not  be  sug- 
gested, consistently  even  with  the  preservation,  in  its  integrity,  of  the 
principles  of  the  existing  acts.  No  pretension  is  made  to  the  pro- 
mulgation, and  much  less  to  the  discovery,  of  a  panacea  for  West 
Indian  distress.  The  remedial  measures  to  be  suggested  are  advo- 
cated simply  because,  of  many,  they  appear  to  the  writer  to  be  the 
most  practicable,  the  most  intermediate  between  excromes,  and  the 
most  consistent  with  the  true  interests  of  the  homo  consumer  as  ^v-.'ll 
as  of  the  colonial  producer;  and  even  should  tho  legislature,  i'l  :ts 
wisdom,  resolve  to  adhere  to  the  principle  of  the  existing  statutes, 

15* 


174 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


f 


there  are  yet,  in  such  measures  as  an  extension  of  the  period  of  their 
application,  and  the  introduction  of  a  third  and  lower  scale  of  duty 
for  the  importation  of  a  third  and  lower  description  of  colonial  sugar, 
and  the  allowing  the  use  of  molasses  as  well  as  of  sugar  in  distille- 
ries and  breweries,  (to  the  improvement  of  spirits  and  malt  liquors, 
and  the  cheapening  of  bread,)  means  whereby  much  may  be  done  to 
ward  oflf  and  procrastinate,  if  they  do  not  prevent,  the  fatal  issue  of 
those  measures  which  have  so  prostrated  the  British  West  Indian 
colonies.  Moreover,  there  is  not  merely  a  possibility,  but  even  a 
probability,  of  some  event  ere  long  occurring  which  may  bring  sud- 
denly to  a  termination — perhaps  to  a  bloody  ci^e — the  existence  of 
slavery  in  the  colonial  dependencies  of  Spain  in  the  West  Indian 
Archipelago.  The  conspiracy  at  Matanzas,  (in  Cuba,)  of  1844,  is 
pregnant  with  important  lessons ;  and  the  chances  of  repetition  of 
some  such  tragedy,  with  the  important  diflference  of  an  opposite  re- 
sult, will  not  be  lost  sight  of  by  the  student  of  British  West  Indian 
interests,  or  indeed  by  any  one  desirous  of  taking,  on  this  really  mo- 
mentous question,  a  view  as  removed  from  despondence  or  despair 
on  the  one  side,  as  from  ill-founded  expectation  or  credulity  on  the 
other. 

Introduced  and  qualified  by  these  preliminary  observations,  the 
following  are  advocated  as  the  measures  most  practicable,  and  most 
likely  to  be  available,  for  the  permanent  removal  of  the  distress 
"which  now  extends  its  depressing  influences  over  the  British  posses- 
sions in  the  West  Indies. 

If  I  have  been  correct  in  affirming  that  there  is  at  present,  in  these 
colonies,  a  retrograde  movement,  as  regards  prosperity,  culture,  and 
civilisation,  then  assuredly  must  I  also  be  right  in  asserting,  that  the 
first  and  the  most  obvious  measure  to  arrest  the  back-going,  is  an 
immediate  resolution  to  extend  the  duration  of  the  difierential  duties. 
But  if,  on  the  other  hand,  there  be  soundness  in  the  view,  that  the 
cause  of  depression  and  retrogression  is  one  which  is  remediable, 
then  as  certainly  may  the  period  of  extension  be  limited  to  the  time 
necessary  for  the  efiectual  carrying  out  of  those  means  in  the  use  ot 
which  a  sufficient  cure  is  to  be  found.  Combining  these  principles, 
the  result  arrived  at  is,  that  an  extension  of  the  protective  duty  for 
ten  years  longer  would,  if  accompanied  by  other  measures,  suffice, 
not  only  to  alleviate  West  Indian  distress,  but  to  remove  the  causes 
of  it. 

That  there  was  justice  in,  or  necessity  for,  a  diffijrential  duty  in 
favour  of  British  colonial  sugar,  was  conceded  in  1846,  by  many 
even  of  that  body  in  this  country  who  arrogate  to  themselves  the 
title  of  "  the  Free-trade  party  ;*'  and  the  statutes  now  in  operation 
arc  in  part  framed  in  accordance  with  that  admission.  But,  if  this 
justice  or  necessity  existed  in  1846  or  1848,  can  it  be  with  truth 


affi 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


175 


jeriod  of  their 
scale  of  duty 
jolonial  sugar, 
^ar  in  distille-  i 
I  malt  liquors, 
lay  be  done  to 
)  fatal  issue  of 
I  West  Indian 
y,  but  even  a 
lay  bring  sud- 
e  existence  of 
West  Indian 
,)  of  1844,  is 
r  repetition  of 
n  opposite  re- 
1  West  Indian 
this  really  mo- 
nce  or  despair 
Qdulity  on  the 

servations,  the 
ible,  and  most 
>f  the  distress 
British  posses- 

•esent,  in  these 

culture,  and 

ting,  that  the 

c-going,  is  an 

irential  duties. 

view,  that  the 

is  remediable, 

ed  to  the  time 

in  the  use  ot 

se  principles, 

ctive  duty  for 

isurcs,  suffice, 

3ve  the  causes 

ential  duty  in 
^46,  by  many 
lemselves  the 
V  in  operation 
Kut,  if  this 
be  with  truth 


affirmed  that  it  does  not  exist  in  1850  ?  Matters  certainly  have  not 
improved  in  the  British  colonies  in  the  W  estern  seas,  within  the  last 
four  years.  On  the  contrary,  and  in  many  respects,  they  h- ve  dete- 
riorated. They  have  retrograded  with  a  rapidity  which  is  most  ap- 
palling to  those  best  acquainted  with  West  Indian  affairs ;  nay,  this 
backgoing  now  threatens  to  engulf  interests  which,  in  1846,  seemed 
remote  from  its  operations.  Nor  can  matters  improve  in  the  British 
colonies  in  the  Western  Archipelago  until. 

In  the  next  place,  the  amount  of  the  differential  duty  between 
slave-grown  and  free- grown  sugar  is  increased  to  about  12s.  per  cwt. 
This,  no  doubt,  involves  a  change  both  in  the  amount  and  on  the 
basis  of  the  protective  duty.  But  a  change  on  both  seems  expedient, 
if  not  essential.  As  regards  amownt,  it  appears  plain  that,  if  there 
is  to  be  any  protective  duty  at  all,  it  canaot  wisely  be  made  less  than 
that  which  will  be  sufficient — sufficient  to  stimulate  to  an  increase  in 
colonial  production.  Now,  the  result  of  all  the  consideration  I  have 
been  able  to  give  this  subject  is,  that,  looking  to  matters  as  they  are, 
a  smaller  differential  duty  than  12s.  would  not  secure  the  wished-for 
result.  Any  smaller  increase  would  not  suffice  for  protection  to 
British  interests,  while  it  might  stimulate  to  increased  exertion  on 
the  part  of  foreigners,  to  retain  the  vantage  ground  they  now  occupy 
in  the  British  market.  The  details  which  go  to  the  formation  of  this 
opinion,  are  to  be  found  in  the  preceding  remarks  on  the  compara- 
tive cheapness  of  slave-grown  over  free-grown  commodities,  and  the 
relative  superiority  in  value  of  slave-produced  over  free-produced 
sugars :  a  repetition  of  these  is  unnecessary.  Aware  of  the  objoc- 
tions  to  changing  the  principle  of  the  differential  duty,  and  altering 
it  as  now  proposed,  the  above-stated  position  is  maintained  in  a  full 
knowledge  of  the  argument,  that  such  change  would  tend  to  encou- 
rage smuggling ;  and  it  is  so  mainly  on  the  ground  that  the  mainten- 
ance of  a  clear  distinction,  between  slave  and  free  produce,  is  the 
most  powerful  weapon  philanthropy  can  wield  j  and  that  the  risk  of 
occasional,  or  even  of  frequent  cases  of  evasion,  does  not  furnish  a 
sufficient  reason  for  departing  from  that  grand  line  of  beneficent 
policy  on  which  Great  Britain  first  adventured,  when  in  1807  she 
passed  the  world-renowned  act  of  abolition — that  statute  which  struck 
the  first  blow  for  liberating  the  slave  from  his  fetters,  and  in  further- 
ance of  which  our  noble  c(  untry  has  since  made  such  lavish  expendi- 
ture of  treasure  and  blood. 

If  the  grounds  upon  which  an  increase  of  the  differential  duty  is 
advocated,  do  not  suthciently  appear  from  what  has  been  already 
written,  as  to  the  deficiency  of  the  means  of  labour  in  the  British 
West  Indies,  the  consequent  comparative  cheapness  of  slave  over  free 
labour  cultivation,  the  reasons  why  these  causes  are  more  operative 
in  the  tropics  than  they  would  be  in  more  northern  climes,  and  the 


176 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


admissions  of  the  slaveholders  themselves  as  to  the  nature  and  extent 
of  the  advantages  they  enjoy, — repetition  here  would  not  avail  to 
make  them  more  apparent  or  convincing.  The  amount  stated  is 
required,  and  it  seems  the  lowest  that  would  suffice ;  while  it  would 
not,  or  at  least  would  not  necessarily,  (for,  in  all  matters  involving 
a  change  in  the  rate  of  a  duty,  while  necessary  results  may  be  calcu- 
lated, actual  ones  are  beyond  our  reach,)  involve  an  increase  in  the 
price  of  sugar  to  the  consumer  greater  than  would  be  caused  by  a 
very  moderate  enhancement  of  the  present  price.  When  it  is  kept 
in  view  that  the  object  of  submitting  to  some  such  temporary  advance 
is  the  maintenance  of  national  faith,  and  the  alleviation  of  West 
Indian  distress,  and  the  preservation  of  these  colonies — not  only  as 
colonies,  but  as  sugar-supplying  countries — it  will  surely  hot  be 
thought  by  any  one  that  the  object  in  view  is  unworthy  of  the  sacri- 
fice, if  a  sacrifice  it  can  be  called.  I  have  said  temporary  advance, 
for  it  is  not  contemplated  that  such  diflferential  duty  should  be  per- 
manent :  on  the  principles  already  at  some  length  adverted  to,  it  is 
unnecessary  that  li  should  be  so. 

If  to  the  meabji'es  above  indicated  there  were  added  a  vigorous, 
well-directed  effort  to  promote  immigration  of  free  labourers  from 
the  shores  of  Africa,  such  immigration  would  redeem  something  like 
a  national  obligation ;  and  under  its  ameliorating  influences,  the 
British  West  Indian  possessions  would,  ere  the  expiry  of  the  pro- 
posed protective  period,  be  in  a  situation  to  compete  with  any  sugar- 
producing  country  in  the  world.  This  would  be  the  case  even  were 
the  abolition  of  slavery,  in  the  territories  of  Spain  and  of  Brazil, 
indefinitely  protracted  or  hopelessly  postponed.  Let  the  person  who 
questions  the  accuracy  of  this  opinion,  inquire  why  it  is  that  tho 
island  of  Burbudoes  is  in  so  diftercnt  a  position  from  that  of  her 
sister  colonies—  why  it  is  that  Colonel  lieid,  in  his  graphic,  truth- 
telling  description,  makes  special  exception  of  "  Little  England," 
when  writing  of  the  Windward  group  'i  It  is  not  said  that  free 
labour  in  the  tropics  is  as  cheap  as  slave  labour,  in  all  respects,  or  as 
regards  every  particular ;  but  it  is  said  that  the  difference  is  not  so 
great  as  to  place  the  slave-owner  on  an  unapproachable  vantage 
ground — pioviucd  always  the  supply  of  the  one  kind  be  as  plentiful 
us  that  of  the  uther  :  and  in  evidence  of  this  Barbadoes  is  referred 
tO;  in  exclusion  of  further  argument. 

The  (|uostion  of  African  immigration — the  modvu.  operandi — tho 
appliances  for  conducting  it — or  the  national  guarantees  which  ought 
to  form  the  basis  of  it — involve  questions  too  important  and  too 
extensive  to  be  here  discuL;sed.  Much  has  lately  been  written  upon 
them  J  and  it  is  not  supposed  that  it  will  now  be  disputed,  by  any 
one  who  has  given  attention  to  tho  subject,  that,  while  Africa  is  the 
field  to  which  the  West  Indians  naturally  look  for  a  supply  of 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


177 


•e  and  extent 
not  avail  io 
ant  stated  is 
hile  it  would 
ers  involving 
lay  be  calcu- 
crease  in  the 
caused  by  a 
len  it  is  kept 
)rary  advance 
tion  of  West 
-not  only  as 
iurely  hot  bo 
■f  of  the  sacri- 
rary  advance, 
ould  be  per- 
irted  to,  it  is 

id  a  vigorous, 
bourei's  from 
Diuething  like 
nfluences,  the 
jT  of  the  pro- 
ith  any  sugar- 
ise  even  were 
id  of  Brazil, 
e  person  who 
is  that  the 
that  of  her 
•aphic,  truth- 
0  England," 
id  that  free 
cspccts,  or  as 
ince  is  not  so 
able  vantage 
e  as  plentiful 
es  is  referred 

oerandi — the 
i  which  ought 
Itant  and  too 
Iwritten  upon 
luted,  by  any 
lAfrica  is  the 
a  supply  of 


labourers,  a  system  of  free  immifjration  from  that  vast  continent  to 
the  British  colonies  in  the  Wcsscern  Archipelago — conducted  under 
the  guarantee  of  Britain's  good  faith — would  confer  a  great  boon,  as 
well  on  the  Africans  so  conveyed  from  the  one  land  to  the  other,  as 
on  the  tropical  agriculturist  who  might  afterwards  employ  them. 

But  while  my  space  compels  me  to  omit  the  evidence  *  which 
relates  to  the  practicability,  philanthropy,  and  efl&ciency  of  emigra- 
tion from  Africa,  as  a  means  of  cure  for  the  evils  affecting  the  labour 
market  in  the  British  West  Indies,  I  can,  as  the  result  of  personal 
observation,  vouch  for  the  cordiality  of  the  reception  which  such 
emigrants  would  receive,  were  they  provided  with  the  means  of  so 
transporting  themselves.  Being  in  one  of  the  Leeward  Islands  in 
1849,  when  a  vessel  arrived  having  a  number  of  African  labourers 
on  board,  an  opportunity  was  offered  me  of  observing  both  the  anxiety 
of  the  planters  to  secure  their  services,  and  the  attention  given  to  the 
promotion  of  their  health  and  comfort.  These  people  very  speedily 
adapted  themselves  to  the  peaceful  occupations  of  their  new  homes, 
in  a  congenial  clime.  Many  months  afterwards  I  was  rejoiced  to 
learn,  from  one  of  the  most  influential  planters  in  the  island,  that 
these  emigrant  labourers  were  amongst  the  best  workpeople  which 
the  colony  at  the  time  contained. 

But  whence,  it  may  be  asked,  are  the  pecuniary  means  for  this 
emigration  to  come  ?  The  financial  is  always  the  most  difl&cult  part 
of  every  practical  question.  But  while  it  is  very  difficult,  that  very 
fact  makes  it  very  important ;  the  preceding  ^/bservations,  therefore, 
would  be  defective,  were  they  not  fittingly  terminated  by  some 
remurks  on  the  monetary  branch  of  the  present  inquiry. 

There  are  two  sources  whence  the  national  part  of  the  expense  of 
African  emigration  might  be  provided :  these  are — the  sums  now 
annually  expended  on  the  slave  squadron,  and  the  balance  of  the 
compensation  money.  Some,  even  among  those  who  have  considered 
the  question,  and  who  may  otherwise  be  favourably  disposed  to  the 
adoption  of  the  writer's  views,  will  hesitate  to  acknowledge  any 
acquiescence  in  this  opinion;  but  it  is  conceived  that  a  few  sen- 
tences will  suffice  to  prove  both  its  justice  and  its  expediency. 

The  squadron  for  the  prevention  of  the  slave  trade,  while  it  is  the 
last  remaining,  so  it  is  the  most  emphatic  of  Great  Britain's  numer- 
ous manifestations  of  her  detestation  of  slavery.  It  may  then  be 
naturally  enough  asked  how,  and  with  what  consistency,  a  writer 
who  advocates  a  return  to  measures  that  tend  to  repress  slave  pro- 
duction, can  advocate  the  abandonment  of  one  to  which  such  an 
observation  applies.     Now  I  apprehend  that  a  sufficient  answer  to 

*  The  reader  will  find  a  Judicious  exposition  of  the  evidence  on  this  subject  in 
a  pamphlet  entitled  KJj'ccis'of  an  Alteration  in  the  Sui^nr  Duties,  cj-c,  by  my  friend 
Mr.  M'Grogor  Laird.    Loudon :  IHi.    Llfingham  Wilson. 


178 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


.^. 


if 


this  argument  is  to  be  found  in  discriminating  between  measures 
effectual  and  measures  ineffectual ;  and  between  the  slave  squadron 
as  an  auxiliary  measure — whi'^  British  legislation  was  otherwise 
consistent  with  its  existence — and  that  squadron  as  a  preventive 
check,  standing  by  itself,  when  the  scope  and  policy  of  English 
legislation  on  the  sugar  question  has  been  entirely  changed.  So 
long  as  England  discountenanced  production  by  means  of  slaves, 
there  was  consistency  in  attempting  to  prevent  other  countries  get- 
ting slaves  wherewith  to  cultivate  their  lands.  But  consistency  and 
entireness  of  policy  was  lost,  when  the  statute  of  1846  passed  into 
a  law.  Thereafter  we  have  been  holding  out  a  bonus  on  slav3  pro- 
duction, while,  by  the  preventive  squadron,  we  have  been  trying  to 
counteract  the  effect  of  the  temptation.  To  illustrate  the  argument 
by  a  parallel  case,  there  was  a  time  when  British  legislation  pre- 
vented the  emigration  of  the  artisan ;  and  tltf  i,  consistently  enough, 
it  also  prohibited  the  exportation  of  certain  kinds  of  machinery 
which  the  artisan  made.  The  first  branch  of  this  consistent  system 
of  unwise  law  was  first  abrogated,  and  ii*  a  brief  space  it  became 
evident,  that  the  sooner  the  second  branch  o^'  it  was  wiped  out  of 
the  statute  book  tije  better.  So  it  is  with  f.be  laws  relative  to  slaves 
and  slave  produce.  As  long  as  wf  disoouniv;  svaced  and  refused  the 
latter,  so  long  could  we  consistently,  and  witii  Lope  of  success,  inter- 
fere by  treaty  and  preventive  squadrons,  t3  put  a  stop  to  the  former; 
but  when  the  bill  of  1840  became  a  h^^  the  consistency  of  the 
national  policy  departed  with  the  svstem      a  oh  it  displaced. 

Again,  the  argument  for  or  ag<  v  s^.  ihi  iLiintcaance  of  the  slave 
squadron  on  the  African  cooso,  hangs  entirely  on  the  question  of 
efficiency  or  non-efficiency.  An  inefficient  checl.  only  aggravates 
the  evil  it  is  in.tr'Tuicu  to  prevent;  and  in  the  case  of  the  slave  trade, 
the  agf^'-'^.vation  hocona-  doubly  deplorabl;  from  the  excessive  sacri- 
fice of  human  iifa  v,  hioii  is  one  of  its  ofifects.  Before  the  slave  trade 
was  declared  to  be  piracy — when  it  was  a  legal  thing  for  the  white 
savage  to  rob  and  sell  his  fellow-men — the  mortality  of  the  "middk 
passage "  was  greatly  less  than  it  has  been  since  that  event.  At 
all  times  the  slave  trade  has  been  productive  of  an  appalling  waste 
of  human  life.  Anterior  to  the  attempt  to  suppress  it  by  treaty 
and  by  squadron,  the  mortality  was  from  10  to  15  per  cent  of  the 
numbers  shipped;  it  has  since  risen  to  33  per  cent — the  harrowing 
increase  being  caused  by  the  crowding  of  the  miserable  cargo  on 
board  vessels  built  small,  low,  and  narrow,  and  with  little  regard  to 
anything  save  their  sailing  powers.  Tlie  fact  that  it  has  been  pro- 
ductive of  this  consequence,  is  in  itself  sufficient  to  prove  the  insuf- 
ficicDcy  of  the  "blockading  chuck."  But  its  insufficiency  is  a  matter 
of  notoriety,  and  even  now  it  i;^  being  brought  prominently  before 
the  attention  of  tiie  British  public  and  legislature,  in  the  petitions 


lega'it 


BRITISH  WEST  INDIES. 


179 


een  measures 
lave  squadron 
was  otherwise 
a  preventive 
;y  of  English 
changed.  So 
ans  of  slaves, 
countries  get- 
Dnsistency  and 
i6  passed  into 
on  slav3  pro- 
oeen  trying  to 
the  argument 
3gislation  pre- 
tently  enough, 
of  machinery 
isistent  system 
»ace  it  became 
I  wiped  out  of 
lative  to  slaves 
Qd  refused  the 
'  success,  inter- 
to  the  former; 
istency  of  the 
ilaced. 

;e  of  the  slave 

le  question  of 

ily  aggravates 

he  slave  trade, 

ixcessive  sacri- 

,he  slave  trade 

for  the  white 

•  the  "  middle 

at  event.     At 

ppalling  waste 

it  by  treaty 

er  cent  of  the 

he  harrowing 

able  cargo  on 

ittle  regard  to 

has  been  pro- 

ove  the  insuf- 

icy  i8  a  matter 

inently  before 

the  petitions 


I. 


presented  to  Parliament  by  Jamaica,  St.  Kitt's,  and  others  of  oup 
West  Indian  Oolonies.  But  is  it  possible  to  make  this  check  an 
efficacious  one  ?  There  are  many  who  maintain  that  it  is  not,  and, 
in  a  word,  I  confess  myself  a  reluctant  convert  to  that  opinion. 
Looking  to  the  fact  that  a  blockade  of  the  African  coast,  to  be  effec- 
tual for  the  suppression  of  the  slave  trade,  must  extend  for  a  length 
of  6000  miles  and  more,  it  does  seem  to  be  visionary  to  expect  the 
suppression  of  the  traffic  in  human  flesh  simply  by  the  presence,  on 
the  African  coast,  of  a  naval  armament — and  that  particularly  now, 
when,  by  our  own  great  demand  for  slave-produced  sugar,  molasses, 
and  rum,  we  are  presenting  a  continuously  operative  inducement  to 
encounter  the  hazard  of  the  middle  passage,  and  run  the  gauntlet 
through  our  ships  of  war.  No  doubt  something — nay  much — 
might  be  done  by  giving  to  the  courts  of  mixed  commission  greater 
authority  and  more  extended  power;  but  it  seems  the  teaching  of  a 
dear-bought  experience  that,  with  all  appl'smces,  we  need  no*;  hope 
that,  by  slave  treaties  and  slave  squadrons  alone,  we  will  ever  suc- 
ceed in  effectually  putting  an  end  to  the  multiplied  horrors  of  tuat 
greatest  production  of 

"  Man's  inhumanity  to  man," 

the  accursed  slave  trade. 

Such  are  some  of  the  grounds  upon  which  the  withdrawal  of  the 
slave  squadron,  and  the  appropriation  for  a  few  years  of  its  pnnual 
costs  to  the  promotion  of  free  immigration  into  the  Briiiih  VVest 
Indian  colonies  from  the  continent  of  Africa,  is  placed  promiu.ntly 
among  the  measures  for  the  removal  of  West  Indian  depression;  and 
distress.  Be  it  remembered,  that  the  withdrawal  of  this  J  ifchocto 
notoriously  inefficient  preventive  measure,  is  only  advocated  hi  con- 
nexion with  the  ro-establishment  of  a  less  costly,  but  infinitely  more 
effectual  one;  and  were  the  squadron  remo  >d,  there  could  not 
surely  be  a  wiser  or  a  more  appropriate  api  ition  of  the  moueyj^ 
thereby  saved,  than  to  the  adoption  of  a  nn  ire  which  will  retain 
our  own  sugar-producing  colonies,  and  eveni  uaily  tend  to  that  state 
of  things  under  which  it  can  alone  be  trub  aid,  "that  fret-labour 
is  as  cheap  as  slave-labour."  So  soon  as  that  issue  is  arrived  afc, 
then,  and  not  till  then,  (unless  some  unfo  soen  contingency  occur,) 
will  the  time  arrive  when  cultivation  b^  means  of  slaves  will  be 
abandoned  as  an  unnecessary,  because  a  profitless,  violation  of  the 
rights  of  man. 

But,  apart  from  the  above-stated  method  of  providing  the  mcana 
for  enabling  the  British  colonists  successfully  to  compete  with  the 
subjects  or  colonists  of  those  countries  whore  slave  cultivation  is 
legalised  and  encouraged,  there  is  the  other  ourcc  of  provision — 
viz.,  the  balance  of  the  compensation  mone^.     In  a  former  part  of 


180 


CUBA  TO  MOBILE. 


this  chapter  the  fact  was  referred  to,  that,  of  the  £20,000,000 
promised,  only  £18,669,401  10s.  7d.  has  been  yet  paid.  The 
remaining  £1,330,598  9s.  5d.  yet  stands  as  an  unexpended  balance. 
There  are  difficulties  in  the  way  of  appropriating  this  sum,  or  any 
part  of  it,  to  a  purpose  dilFerent  from — though  collateral  to — that 
for  which  it  was  originally  designed,  but  there  are  no  such  diffi- 
culties as  cannot  be  overcome  by  a  British  statute. 

Having  now  detained  my  reader  longer  on  this  subject  than  I 
originally  either  desired  or  intended,  I  now  take  leave  of  it,  with 
the  concluding  observation,  that  if  the  results,  which  time  only  can 
develop,  should  go  to  falsify  any  or  all  of  the  preceding  observa- 
tions, in  so  far  as  they  are  prophetic  of  evil  to  the  British  colonial 
possessions  in  the  West  Indian  Archipelago,  no  one  will  more 
heartily  rejoice  in  that  issue  than  will  the  writer,  who  has  commit- 
ted such  prognostications  to  the  press.  A  sense  of  expediency,  as 
well  as  of  justice,  has  been  his  guide  in  making  his  remarks;  and 
if  they  do  not  appear  to  others  so  conclusive  as  they  seem  to  him- 
self, he  can  only  say,  in  language  before  used,  by  other  and  abler 
writers, 

"  What  is  writ  is  writ,  would  it  were  worthier." 


CHAPTER  IX. 


•'Hail  Columbia!" 

'  "  United  States,  your  banner  waves, 
Two  emblems — one  of  fame." 

Campbeh. 

Tne.  sail  from  Cuba  down  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  Mobile  Point,  on 
the  great  continent  of  North  America,  a  distance  of  about  five  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles,  is  performed  by  the  steam-ships  in  somewhere 
under  two  days  and  a  half;  and  when  the  weather  is  fine,  as  it  gene- 
rally is,  a  more  agreeable  sea-voyage  is  almost  nowhere  to  be  found. 
At  the  time  when  I  performed  it,  in  the  11.  M.  steam-ship  Severn, 
the  English  steamers  did  not  proceed  further  than  Mobile  Point, 
whence  to  the  town  of  Mobile,  a  distance  of  some  twenty  miles,  the 
passengers  were  conveyed  by  a  small  river  steamer.  At  the  period 
referred  to,  the  arrangements  of  the  British  West  Indian  Steam 
Packet  Company,  in  some  of  their  operations,  were  in  their  infancy 
— the  former  place  of  the  steamer's  call  having  been  New  Orleans. 
But  if  matters  continued  as  they  thou  were,  (in  1849,)  there  is  much 
reason,  ;js  well  as  room,  for  improvement.  It  is  certainly  not  very 
comf  »rtablu  for  any  traveller,  and  particularly  for  ladies  and  invalids, 
to  ha  roufcjed  from  sleep  at  midnight,  and  called  on  to  disembark. 


APPROACW  Tfi  AMRRICA. 


181 


£20,000,000 
paid.  The 
(led  balance, 
sum,  or  any 
jral  to — that 
10  such  diffi- 

bject  than  I 
e  of  it,  with 
ime  only  can 
ling  observa- 
itish  colonial 
ae  will  more 
has  comniit- 
tpediency,  as 
emarks;  and 
seem  to  him- 
ler  and  abler 


)ile  Point,  on 

)out  five  hun- 

In  somewhere 

^e,  as  it  gcnc- 

to  be  found. 

[ship  Severn, 

[obile  Point, 

[ty  miles,  the 

A  the  period 

idian  Steam 

[heir  infancy 

[cw  Orleans. 

Ihcre  is  much 

ply  not  very 

lud  invaiidn, 

disembark, 


during  a  rough  night,  from  the  large  steam-ship  into  the  small, 
miserable  little  screw-propelled  steara-boat,  into  which  we  were  tran- 
shipped at  the  mouth  of  the  Mobile  river.  The  charge,  too — three 
dollars  a-head  for  conveying  the  passengers  from  Mobile  Point  to  the 
town  of  Mobile  in  the  river  steam-boat — seems  excessive,  particularly 
to  those  accustomed  to  the  very  moderate  fares  exacted  in  the  steam- 
ers, or  rather  steam-ships,  of  the  United  States.  It  was,  therefore, 
not  without  reason  that  there  was  much  grumbling  at  such  arrange- 
ments on  the  part  of  my  fellow-passengers  and  myself. 

Observing  that  the  cabin-lights  remained  unqueuched  beyond  the 
usual  hour  for  "  turning  in,"  and  also  some  other  prognostications  of 
a  coming  change,  I  had  a  presentiment  that  we  might  be  called  upon 
to  leave  the  ship  (which  would  then  steam  onward  across  the  Gulf 
of  Mexico)  ere  morning  dawned.     Therefore  my  preparations  were 
made  for  such  contingency,  and  with  some  Spanish  fellow-passengers 
I  was  "  sitting  up,"  waiting  the  course  of  events.    Several  of  my  com- 
patriots had,  howe  /er,  made  up  their  minds  to  remaining  on  board 
the  steaiii-ship  till  daybreak  at  least,  and,  animated  by  such  vain  ex- 
pectations, had,  so  soon  as  the  ship  passed  into  smooth  water  under 
the  "  lee  of  the  land,"  made  themselves  comfortable  for  the  night  in 
their  circumscribed  "  state  rooms."     These  voyagers  were,  as  might 
have  been  supposed,  the  chief  male  utents.     But  the  disaffection  was 
general.     It  was  an  ill-arranged  affair ;  and,  if  the  system  be  not  yet 
amended,  it  certainly  requires  very  much   to  be  so.     The  matter 
might  very  easily   be   more   comfortably   and    more   economically 
arranged.     There  are  numerous  excellent  steamers  sailing  between 
Mobile  and  New  Orleans  at  very  moderate  fares ;  and,  by  an  arrange- 
ment with  the  owner  or  master  of  one  or  other  of  the  steamers,  or 
with  some  other  of  the  Mobile  steam-boat  proprietors,  the  English 
company  might  very  easily  secure  much  greater  comfort,  at  a  much 
more  moderate  rate,  for  the  numerous  voyagers  of  all  countries  who 
patronise  their  steam-ships,  and  who,  in  this  age  of  coiiipotition,  can 
only  be  expected  to  continue  so  to  do,  if  due  attention  be  paid  to 
their  convenience  and  comfort. 

The  approach  to  that  part  of  the  coast  of  North  America  where 
Mobile  river  debouches,  presents  no  features  of  attraction ;  low,  flat, 
and  dreary  are  its  prevailing  characteristics.  It  must  also  be  of 
very  dangerous  navigation,  and,  even  as  we  approached,  we  saw  a 
lar«Te  ship  of  about  700  tons  burthen  lying  stranded  on  a  sand-bank, 
and  with  the  sea  breaking  over  her  at  each  return  of  the  wave.  She 
had  gone  on  shore  some  weeks  before,  laden  with  a  cargo  of  salt,  and 
efforts  were  then  making  to  get  her  off. 

The  name  "  Mobile  Uiver  "  is  of  a  nomenclature  which  is  calcu- 
lated to  mislead.  Properly  speaking,  it  is  the  estuary  of  the  Ala- 
bama, or  at  least  it  is  formed  by  tlu>  conHuence  of  that  noble  stream 


182 


TRAVELLING  IN  AMERICA. 


with  the  river  Tombeckbee.  Of  the  scenery  between  the  bay  and 
the  town  I  can  say  nothing,  (save  that  report  makes  little  mention 
of  it,)  seeing  that  the  four  hours  spent  on  it  were  passed  on  the 
small,  slow,  screw-propelled  steam-boat  in  the  darkness  of  night. 

In  the  town  of  Mobile  there  is  not  much  to  detain  the  traveller 
who  has  no  other  objects  save  pleasure  and  health  in  view.  Al- 
though now  a  town  of  some  standing,  containing  about  14,000  in- 
habitants, it  is  only  of  late  years  that  Mobile  has  sprung  into  im- 
portance. It  is  a  thriving,  bustling,  and  improving  place,  and  carries 
on  a  large  trade,  chiefly  in  cotton,  with  many  parts  of  the  world,  and 
especially  with  Great  Britain.  As  a  port  for  the  shipment  of  cotton, 
it  is  now  second  only  to  New  Orleans. 

From  Mobile  to  New  Orleans  the  sail  is  by  steamers,  and  along 
the  coast,  inside  of  certain  sandy  islets,  Avhich  stretch  along  the  low 
flat  shore  for  nearly  the  whole  way  to  the  entrance  to  Lake  Pont- 
chartrain.  The  distance  is  about  a  hundred  and  seventy  miles;  and 
the  steamer  I  journeyed  in,  rejoiced  in  the  once  controversial  name 
of  the  Oregon.  She  was  a  large,  excellent,  well-appointed  boat; 
and  for  the  moderate  cabin  fare  of  five  dollars,  the  voyage  is  made 
in  her  in  great  comfort.  Indeed,  I  may  here,  once  for  all,  say,  that 
throughout  my  journeyings  in  the  United  States  of  America,  I  found 
that  all  I  had  read  or  heard  regarding  the  comparative  discomfort  of 
American  steamers  from  the  jostling  of  fellow-passengers  and  intru- 
siveness  of  strangers,  was  either  altogether  untrue  or  grossly  exag- 
gerated. There  is  no  doubt  that  there  are  in  the  United  States,  as 
there  are  everywhere  else,  varieties  in  the  travellers  you  arc  destined 
to  meet  with,  as  well  as  in  the  comforts  and  accommodations  of  the 
steam-boats  you  are  induced  or  compelled  to  travel  in.  But  he  or 
she  to  whom  such  variety  is  a  source  of  discomfort^  or  to  whom  it  is 
not  a  source  of  amusement  and  of  interest,  had  better  not  travel  at 
all,  being  altogether  unfitted  for  doing  so.  Nor  need  it  be  concealed 
that  in  America,  and  particularly  in  the  Western  States,  where 
society  is  in  a  state  of  rapid  advancement  and  transition,  the  travel- 
ler is  more  apt  to  meet  with  persons  of  intrusive  and  oft'eusive  man- 
ners, than  when  travelling  in  the  older  countries  of  Europe,  or  at 
least  in  England.  But  cases  of  offensiveness  are  the  exceptions,  and 
the  rare  ones.  And  it  is  not  even  always,  when  the  traveller  in 
America  meets  with  a  person  peculiarly  intrusive,  that  he  can  justly 
consider  the  intrusion  as  impertinence.  Ofttimcs  did  I  find,  on  a 
little  cross-questioning  of  die  interrogator,  who  displayed  at  any  time 
an  unusual  desire  to  make  himself  acquainted  with  my  past  life, 
present  objects,  and  future  prospects,  that  there  was  no  idea  in  his 
mind  that  the  detail  could  be  anything  save  grateful  to  my  feelings; 
and  not  unfrequently  did  I  discover  that  the  person  whose  obtrusive- 
ness,  when  on  the  river  or  the  road,  was  most  marked,  if  not  most 


TRAVELLING  IN  AMERICA. 


183 


the  bay  and 
ttle  mention 
sscd  on  the 
of  night, 
the  traveller 
,  view.  Al- 
b  14,000  in- 
ing  into  im- 
3,  and  carries 
e  world,  and 
?nt  of  cotton, 

rs,  and  along 

long  the  low 

Lake  Pont- 

y  miles;  and 

krersial  name 

ointed  boat; 

rage  is  made 

all,  say,  that 

jrica,  I  found 

iiscomfort  of 

irs  and  intru- 

grossly  exag- 

id  States,  as 

arc  destined 

itious  of  the 

But  he  or 

0  whom  it  is 

lot  travel  at 

be  concealed 

tatcs,  where 

1,  the  travcl- 

ensive  mau- 

urope,  or  at 

leptions,  and 

traveller  in 

e  can  justly 

find,  on  a 

at  any  time 

»y  past  life, 

idea  in  his 

uy  feelings; 

0  obtrusive- 

f  not  most 


offensive,  displyed  most  anxiety  to  be  useful  in  focilitating  my 
arrangements  at  the  termination  of  the  voyage  or  journey.  Besides, 
it  should  bo  remembered  that  the  United  States  of  America  are 
peculiarly  a  "  land  of  travel,"  where  that  party  which  may  there 
at  least  be  denominated  par  excellence  "the  people"  move  much 
about,  from  one  part  of  the  country  to  another ;  so  that  to  give  the 
conduct  or  conversation  of  such  persons  as  fair  specimens  of  the  con- 
duct and  conversation  of  the  more  refined  circles  of  Transatlantic 
society,  were  to  commit  an  injustice  which,  however  often  it  has 
been  committed,  is  most  flagrant  and  unpardonable. 

I  have  thought  it  just  to  record  these  remarks,  as  the  result  of  my 
personal  observation  while  travelling  in  America,  because  of  the  fre- 
quency with  which,  even  still,  and  of  late  years,  one  sees  attempts 
made  to  prove  that  an  offensive  familiarity  and  obstrusiveness 
are  very  general  characteristics  among  our  American  brethren.  At 
the  same  time  I  never  had  the  desire,  and  I  certainly  have  not  the 
intention,  to  be  an  indiscriminate  panegyrist  of  the  land  of  "  stars 
and  stripes."  True  to  my  motto,  I  will  "  nothing  extenuate,"  even 
while  I  sit  down  "  naught  in  malice."  It  is  therefore  that  I  add 
that,  at  least  when  travelling  in  the  "Western  States  of  the  American 
Union,  the  European  traveller  must  expect  to  hear  and  to  see  many 
things  which,  there  can  be  no  doubt,  contrast  unfavourably  with  Eu- 
ropean, and  particularly  with  English  habits  and  customs ;  and  which 
even  the  educated  and  intelligent  among  Americans  will  themselves 
admit  may  be  much  amended.  Only  to  mention  a  few  of  such  par- 
ticulars in  evidence  of  the  general  truth  of  this  remark  : — the  habit, 
I  had  almost  said  vice,  of  boasting,  so  common  in  the  States,  where 
it  is  not  simply  amusing,  is  certainly  offensive.  When  one  finds  it 
deforming  the  character  of  a  person,  otherwise  agreeable  and  intelli- 
gent, its  exhibition  is  not  a  little  provoking ;  but,  generally,  it  is  ex- 
hibited to  an  offensive  extent  only  by  the  comparatively  ignorant  and 
illiterate,  and  is  based  on  an  almost  entire  unacquaintance  with  the 
advances  made  in  science  and  art  throughout  Europe  during  the  last 
twenty  years.  Confining  their  attention,  in  a  great  measure,  to  the 
transactions  of  their  own  continent,  many  of  the  persons  one  meets 
with  in  public  conveyances  in  the  United  States,  know  little  or 
nothing  of  P^uropean  affairs;  or  only  know  of  them  vaguely,  and 
through  the  medium  of  the  inferior  part  of  their  public  press,  which, 
echoing  and  reflecting  the  prejudices  of  "  the  people,"  caters  for  their 
appetite  for  praise,  by  giving  only  such  versions  of  what  passes  in 
Europe  as  will  afford  that  comparison  with  things  in  the  llepublio 
which  is  most  flattering  to  themselves.  Thus  it  happens  that,  while 
all  Americans  see,  as  they  cannot  fail  to  do,  the  rapid  advances  in 
every  department  of  art  and  scienee,  made  in  their  own  country,  they 
are  apt  to  think  that  such  advances  are  confined  to  their  Union;  that, 


184 


TRAVELLING  IN  AMERICA. 


while  they  have  been  progressing,  Europe  generally,  and  especially 
England,  has  been  standing  still.  Of  course,  it  is  not  worth  while 
to  stop  to  point  out  the  greatness  of  such  a  mistake,  or  the  errors  in 
reasoning  into  which  it  will  necessarily  lead.  My  object  is  not  to 
laud  my  native  land,  but  to  give  a  fair  exposition  of  my  experience 
when  travelling  in  the  United  States  of  America. 

But  it  is  only  a  duty,  and  a  compliance  with  the  principle  set 
out  wit' .,  to  add,  that  in  many,  indeed  in  most  of  the  cases  in  which 
I  hean  ridiculous,  ignorant  boasting  relative  to  American  aflFairs 
or  American  resources,  or  ofiensive  remarks  and  allusions  to  other 
countries,  and  to  Great  Britain  in  particular,  I  found,  on  inquiry, 
that  the  ignorant  utterer  was  not  a  native-born  American,  but — I 
confess  it  with  shame — a  native  of  the  land  to  which  his  obnoxious 
remarks  were  intended  to  refer.  I  find  it  recorded  among  my  ex- 
periences, when  sailing  up  the  Mississippi,  that  the  Englishmen  or 
Irishmen  who  have  left  their  own  country  in  comparatively  early 
life,  and  probably  from  disappointed  hopes,  and  have  been  located 
in  the  United  States  for  some  fifteen  or  twenty  years,  are,  of  all 
classes,  the  most  ofiensive  which  one  meets  when  travelling  the 
ordinary  routes  of  travel  in  the  United  States  of  America.  Al- 
though, perchance,  and  not  unfrequently,  these  persons  are  of 
those 

"  Who  leave  their  country  for  their  country's  good," 

the  idea  seems  to  possess  them  that  the  fact  of  they  themselves 
having  been  compelled,  by  want  of  industry  or  of  success,  to  leave 
their  native  land,  gives  them  a  title  to  abuse  her  and  her  institu- 
tions. The  abuse  of  such  parties,  however,  is  of  little  consequence, 
if  they  would  not,  at  the  same  time,  grossly  misrepresent  and  mis- 
state. But  it  is  not  easy  for  one  who  feels  that  the  simple  know- 
ledge of  the  truth  would  go  far  to  promote  international  goodwill, 
and  who  witnesses  the  efforts  of  the  great  and  good,  both  in  Eng- 
land and  America,  to  foster  a  right  understanding  between  these 
two  great  branches  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  family,  to  hear,  without 
indignation,  the  cool  misstatements  regarding  matters  in  Great 
Britain,  palmed  by  such  Anglo  or  Irish  Americans  upon  the  cre- 
dulity of  the  native-born  Americans  to  whom  they  may  address 
themselves.  Most  natural  is  it  for  an  American  to  judge  of  the 
land  of  his  forefathers,  and  of  its  institutions  and  customs,  from 
the  report  and  statement  of  the  person  in  his  own  rank  in  life,  and 
whom  he  personally  knows  to  have  been  born  in  it.  Nothing  can 
he  know  of  the  fact,  that  the  person  who  thus  professes  to  enlighten 
him,  left  his  native  land  in  utter  ignorance  of  the  nature  of  its 
institutions,  and  without  having  ever  visited  the  chief  seats  of  lite- 
rature, of  elegance,  or  of  commerce,  which  that  glorious  laud  con- 


TRAVELLING  IN  Af  .-miCA. 


185 


[id  especially 
worth  while 
the  errors  in 
ict  is  not  to 
y  experience 

principle  set 
ises  in  which 
jrican  aifairs 
ions  to  other 
,  on  inquiry, 
•ican,  but — I 
lis  obnoxious 
Qong  my  ex- 
nglishmen  or 
-atively  early 
been  located 
'S,  are,  of  all 
ravelling  the 
merica.  Al- 
lisons are  of 


ly  themselves 
cess,  to  leave 
her  institu- 
consequence, 
lent  and  mis- 
jimple  know- 
lal  goodwill, 
oth  in  Eng- 
tween  these 
lear,  without 
rs  in  Great 
on  the  cre- 
iiay  address 
udge  of  the 
stoms,  from 
in  life,  and 
othing  can 
to  enlighten 
ature  of  its 
beats  of  lite- 
ms laud  con- 


tains :  and  only  can  he  guess  how  far,  since  leaving  it  in  early  life, 
such  informant  has  had  the  means  of  knowing  anything  regarding 
its  progress  in  education,  in  art,  or  in  general  improvement.  He 
takes  the  coolest  and  most  flagrant  assertions  for  gospel  truths,  and 
flatters  himself  with  the  conviction  that  he  has  his  information  on 
the  best  authority — on  the  authority  of  a  native-born  subject  of 
the  land  of  which  he  has  spoken.  And  most  natural  is  it  that  the 
American  should  do  so. 

The  extent  and  magnitude  of  this  evil,  and  the  extent  to  which 
it  operates  in  the  way  of  preventing  that  clearer  knowledge  of  each 
other,  which  is  desired  by  all  those  who  understand  the  true  inte- 
rests of  the  two  nations,  and  have  the  wellbeing  of  both  warmly 
at  heart,  must  be  seen  and  felt  to  be  fully  appreciated.  It  extends 
even  into  higli  places.  Even  some  of  those  who  know  better,  find 
it  their  interest  to  keep  up  the  delusion ;  and  it  is  surely  lament- 
able to  sec  a  newspaper,  conducted  by  a  Scotchman,  made  con- 
stantly Jind  systeaiatically  the  vehicle  of  circulating  through  the 
United  States  of  America  the  grossest  and  most  puerile,  as  well  as 
palpable  slanders  and  misstatements,  regarding  Great  Britain,  and 
the  feelings  of  its  inhabitants  towards  their  American  brethren. 
Yet  so  it  is ;  and  the  evil  descends  to  the  very  lowest  rank,  and 
exhibits  itself  even  in  the  most  trivial  matters,  of  which,  among 
many  instances  that  happened  under  my  own  observation,  I  may, 
for  the  sake  of  illustrating  my  reasoning,  mention  one  which 
occurred  when  sailing  up  the  Mississippi  in  the  steam-ship  Peytona. 
A  person  who  was  very  fond  of  obtruding  his  extremely  democratic 
opinions,  of  making  impertinent  allusions  to  English  politics,  and 
of  making  himself  otherwise  offensive,  and  whom  I  found,  on  a 
little  delicate  inquiry,  to  be  a  native  of  Ireland,  resident  for  the 
last  twenty  years  in  the  United  States  of  America,  and  whom  suc- 
cess in  trade  had  elevated  to  a  social  position — to  adorn  which  he 
had  not  received  any  adequate  education — was  asked  by  a  genuine 
Yankee  whether  any  of  "  these  fixings" — pointing  to  a  dish  of 
miserably  cooked  artichokes — were  grown  in  the  "  old  country." 
The  cool  but  unhesitating  response  was — "No;  they  have  none  of 
these  things;"  and  this  valuable  piece  of  statistical  information, 
designed,  no  doubt,  as  an  illustration  of  the  inferiority  of  British 
climate  and  soil,  was  of  course  recorded  in  the  memories  of  the 
surrounding  Americans  (whom  education  did  not  prevent  from 
believing  it)  as  something  received  on  the  very  best  authority. 

The  above  observations  are  the  result  of  no  afterthought.  They 
were  recorded  in  my  Journal  at  the  time  I  witnessed  the  scenes  that 
originated  them,  and  it  was  not  till  long  after  this  record  had  been 
made,  that  ray  attention  was  directed  to  the  corroborative  observation 
of  Mr.  Charles  Dickens,  who  remarks,  in  his  Notes  on  America,  that 

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186 


TRAVELLING  IN  AMERICA. 


'*  In  the  coarse  of  this  day's  journey  we  encountered  some  English- 
men (small  farmers,  perhaps,  or  country  publicans  at  home)  who 
were  settled  in  America.  Of  all  grades  and  kinds  of  men  that  jostle 
one  in  the  public  conveyances  of  the  States,  these  are  often  the  most 
intolerable  and  the  mort  insuflferable  companions.  United  to  every 
disagreeable  characteristic  that  the  worst  kind  of  American  travellers 
possess,  these  countrymen  of  ours  display  an  amount  of  insolent  con- 
ceit, and  cool  assumption  of  superiority,  quite  monstrous  to  behold. 
In  the  coarse  familiarity  of  their  approach,  and  the  effrontery  of  their 
inquisitiveness,  (which  they  are  in  great  haste  to  assert,  as  if  they 
panted  to  revenge  themselves  upon  the  decent  old  restraints  of  home,) 
they  surpass  any  native  specimens  that  came  within  my  range  of 
observation ;  and  I  often  grew  so  patriotic  when  I  saw  and  heard 
them,  that  I  would  cheerfully  have  iiubmitted  to  a  reasonable  fine,  if 
I  could  have  given  any  other  country  in  the  whole  world  the  honour 
of  claiming  them  for  its  children." 

Other  sources  of  annoyance  to  the  European  traveller,  on  the 
western  rivers  of  the  United  States,  and  in  which  the  Americans 
have  yet  much  to  amend,  are  to  be  found  in  the  personal  habits  and 
practices  of  tha  general  run  of  travellers  with  whom  yon  necessarily 
come  into  some  measure  of  contact,  when  travelling  in  the  public 
conveyances.  In  particular,  chewing,  and  its  concomitant  spitting, 
are  all  but  univei  'al ;  and  of  this  universality  the  indices  are  gene- 
rally to  be  seen  on  the  decks  of  the  steam-packet  when  sailing  up  the 
mighty  Mississippi.  Washed  and  thoroughly  cleaned  every  morning, 
ere  evening  they  were  reduced  to  a  state  in  every  way  abominable, 
and  anj'thing  but  appetising.  The  habit  of  chewing  I  had  long 
known  to  be  much  more  general  in  the  United  States  than  in  any 
country  in  Europe,  but,  till  I  saw  the  extent  to  which  it  was  indulged 
in  the  Western  States  of  America,  I  had  no  adequate  idea  of  the 
magnitude  of  the  evil.  There  is  another  evil  practice  which  I  may 
be  permitted  to  characterise  under  the  mild  name  of  habit,  which  is 
unfortunately  but  too  often  heard  on  board  the  Mississippi  steamers 
—I  mean  the  habit  of  profane  swearing.  The  monstrous  Mississippi 
being  as  it  were  the  great  highway  from  the  souih  to  the  north,  and 
its  scarcely  less  noble  tributaries  the  Missouri,  Ohio,  Arkansas,  Ked 
River,  &c.,  being  as  it  were  "branch  lines"  which  intersect  the  vast 
valley  to  the  right  and  to  the  left,  there  is  a  constant  flow  of  travel- 
lers of  every  kind,  grade,  and  sort,  travelling  along ;  while  the  com- 
parative thinness  of  the  population  (there  being  not  more  than  between 
eight  and  nine  millions  in  the  whole  vast  region  known  as  the  valley 
of  the  Mississippi — a  region  capable  of  supporting*  in  wealth  and 
comfort  not  less  than  at  least  ten  times  that  number)  renders  the 
restraints  of  law  and  of  order  somewhat  difficult  to  be  enforced. 
These  two  causes  combine  to  make  the  routes  of  travel  by  the  Missis- 


TRAVELLING  IN  AMERICA. 


187 


ome  English- 
t  home)  who 
en  that  jostle 
ften  the  most 
ited  to  every 
can  travellers 
:  insolent  con- 
lus  to  behold. 
)ntery  of  their 
frt,  as  if  they 
ints  of  home,) 
my  range  of 
aw  and  beard 
Bonable  fine,  if 
•Id  the  honour 

iveller,  on  the 
the  Americans 
nal  habits  and 
rot  necessarily 
in  the  public 
litant  spitting, 
iices  are  gene- 
sailing  up  the 
jvery  morning, 
y  abominable, 
ig  I  had  long 
s  than  in  any 
t  was  indulged 
;e  idea  of  the 
5  which  I  may 
tabit,  which  is 
sippi  steamers 
lus  Mississippi 
he  north,  and 
Arkansas,  Red 
rsecfc  the  vast 
low  of  travel- 
?hile  the  com- 
than  between 
I  as  the  valley 
n  wealth  and 
•)  renders  the 
be  enforced, 
by  the  Missis- 


sippi the  resort  of  gangs  of  gamblers,  who  travel  up  and  down  in  the 
steamers,  playing,  or  professing  to  play  among  themselves,  but  con- 
stantly on  the  lookout  for  the  unwary,  and  ready  to  combine  to 
"  pluck  the  pigeon,"  when  such  falls  into  their  trap.  I  was  happy 
to  be  informed  that,  of  late  years,  the  audacity  of  such  persons,  as 
well  as  their  numbers,  have  greatly  decreased.  Formerly  they  were 
peculiarly  insolent  and  overbearing,  confidently  trusting  in  their 
numbers.  But  the  rapid  progress  of  the  Western  States  in  popula- 
tion and  civilization  has  tended  greatly  to  their  discountenance ;  and 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that  travellers  in  these  regions  will,  in  a  few  years, 
not  have  a  plentiful  supply  of  blacklegs  and  gamblers  to  note  as 
among  the  characteristics  of  the  route.  Were  it  only  among  such 
persons  that  the  profanity  of  language  I  have  thought  it  necessary 
to  allude  to  exhibited  itself,  such  a  thing  were  only  what  was  to  be 
expected.  'Twere  unreasonable  to  expect  to  "  gather  grapes  of 
thistles  j"  and,  accordingly,  that  a  cheat  and  gambler  by  profession 
should  be  a  profane  swearer,  is  only  what  might  be  predicated.  But 
the  habit  is  more  general  than  that.  Many  persons,  whom  I  found 
on  inquiry  to  be  persons  otherwise  intelligent,  and  moving  in  respect- 
able positions  in  life,  were  in  the  habit  of  interlarding  their  con- 
versation with  oaths  of  the  most  awful  description.  Than  this  vice 
I  know  not  one  of  a  meaner  character.  Apart  from  the  religious 
view  of  the  question—which  it  is  surely  unnecessary  to  argue  here — 
it  is  positively  the  most  contemptible  of  all  vices,  the  vice  of  lying 
perhaps  only  excepted.  The  best  that  can  be  said  in  defence  of  it 
is,  that  it  is  meaningless,  inasmuch  as  the  utterer  does  not  really 
intend  what  he  says ;  and  what  can  possibly  exhibit  the  practice  in  a 
more  degrading  light  than  the  fact,  that  such  is  the  only  kind  of 
defence  that  one  ever  hears  attempted  in  extenuation  of  an  oath  ? 

When  oflfering  these  records  of  my  personal  reminiscences  of 
wanderings  in  the  Southern  and  Western  States  of  the  American 
Union,  it  is  right  to  add  that  the  remarks  apply  to  society  as  it 
exhibited  itself  to  myself  in  its  outward  phase.  The  slight  oppor- 
tunities I  had  of  judging  of  the  state  of  society  in  the  domestic  * 
circles  would  have  led  me  to  a  different  conclusion,  and  fully  pre- 
pared me  for  crediting  the  statements  of  sundry  friends  in  the 
Southern  States,  that,  were  my  stay  sufficiently  protracted  in  one 
place,  to  enable  me  to  see  much  of  the  domestic  life  of  the  resi- 
dent merchants  and  proprietors,  I  would  be  compelled  to  form  a 
much  more  favourable  opinion  than  I  could  form  from  the  habits 
of  the  more  migratory  portion  of  the  community  whom  I  would 
find  in  the  steamers  of  the  mighty  but  muddy  Mississippi,  and  of 
her  almost  equally  great,  but  generally  more  limpid,  tributaries. 

Mais  revenons  a  nos  moutons.    To  return  to  the  sail  from  Mobile 
to  New  Orleans.     The  route  I  went  in  the  Oregon  was  to  Lake 


188 


MOBILE  TO  NEW  ORLEANS. 


U       -lain 


r-tii 


'■''M 


Pont-chartrain,  (so  named  during  the  French  proprietorship  of 
Louisiana  in  honour  of  a  French  duke  of  the  name) — and  thence 
by  a  short  line  of  rail  to  New  Orleans.  There  is  another  and  a 
longer  loute  by  the  Mississippi;  but  the  one  by  the  lake  is,  I  be- 
lieve, generally  pursued  by  travellers.  The  fare  in  the  cabin  was 
five  dollars ;  and  as  this  was  the  first  of  my  experiences  in  travel- 
ling in  an  American  steamer,  I  may  here  record  something  of  the 
impressions  the  monster  has  left  upon  my  mind. 

It  is  difl&cult  to  give  a  graphic  conception  of  such  a  nondescript 
as  an  American  river  steamer,  without  the  aid  of  the  draughts- 
But  a  sufficiently  clear  idea  of  the  particulars  which  distin- 


man. 


guish  these  steam  arks  of  America,  from  what  is  understood  by  the 
term  steamboat  in  Great  Britain,  will  be  obtained  by  imagining  a 
huge  barge,  gabert,  or  hoy,  covered  all  over.  On  this,  which  con- 
stitutes a  first  deck,  are  placed  the  engines,  fuel,  and  cargo.  On 
the  top  of  this,  and  supported  by  pillars,  is  the  main  or  cabin  deck, 
generally  with  a  covered  promenade  all  round,  save  where  an  in- 
terruption is  caused  by  the  paddle-boxes.  On  the  top  of  this  is 
another,  or  upper  deck,  part  of  which  is  often  occupied  by  small 
sleeping  cabins,  and  above  all  stands  a  house  for  the  pilot.  This 
house  is  in  the  front  part  of  the  boat,  the  wheel  being  connected 
with  the  rudder  by  chains  working  the  whole  length  of  the  deck. 
These  steamers  vary  somewhat  in  construction,  as  they  do  in  size 
and  in  elegance ;  and  some  of  them  have  even  an  additional  deck 
or  "flat,"  to  those  abovementioned.  All  have  a  ladies'  cabin, 
generally  a  very  elegant  aiFair,  and  to  which  only  ladies,  or  gentle- 
men travelling  with  ladies,  have  access ;  baggage-rooms — an  office 
where  the  "  clerk  of  the  boat"  takes  fares  and  issues  tickets ;  and 
a  large,  long,  general  cabin,  in  which  the  meals  are  taken,  the  sides 
being  either  occupied  by  shelves  as  berths  or  beds,  or  small  state- 
rooms entering  from  the  cabin.  However  much  they  vary,  they 
have  all  a  general  resemblance;  and  the  above  brief  description 
will  enable  the  reader  to  conceive  that  they  must  have  (the  steam 
and  funnels  only  excepted)  a  very  Noah's-ark  sort  of  appearance. 
I  have  certainly  heard  persons,  both  Americans  and  others,  say, 
that  they  consider  these  vessels  picturesque-looking,  it  not  grace- 
ful. But,  with  every  desire  to  see  wherein  the  grace  lay,  I  never 
could  discover  it.  Gay  they  certainly  are — ofttimes  as  gay  as 
paint  and  gilding  could  make  them.  Nay,  some  of  them — indeed 
I  may  say  nearly  the  whole  of  the  passenger-ships — are  very  hand- 
somely fitted  up,  as  well  as  very  commodious ;  and  the  wonder 
only  is,  that,  at  such  fares,  there  should  be  so  much  elegance,  and 
so  many  of  the  appliances  of  comfort.  But  there  is  no  grace  or 
beauty  in  the  general  outward  appearance  of  the  vessel  herself,  as 
she  sails;  like  a  huge  bellowing  monster,  upon  the  water.     And, 


MOBILE  TO  NEW  ORLEANS. 


189 


•ietorship  of 
—and  thence 
Lother  and  a 
ake  is,  I  be- 
lie cabin  was 
les  in  travel- 
thing  of  the 

I  nondescript 
lie  draughts- 
which  distin- 
rstood  by  the 
imagining  a 
3,  which  con- 
cargo.     On 
r  cabin  deck, 
where  an  in- 
op  of  this  is 
)ied  by  small 
pilot.     This 
ng  connected 
of  the  deck, 
ey  do  in  size 
ditional  deck 
adies'  cabin, 
es,  or  gentle- 
ns — an  ofl&co 
tickets;  and 
cen,  the  sides 
small  state- 
j  vary,  they 
description 
e  (the  steam 
appearance, 
others,  say, 
it  not  grace- 
lay,  I  never 
as  gay  as 
lem — indeed 
e  very  hand- 
the  wonder 
egance,  and 
no  grace  or 
il  herself,  as 
ater.     And, 


to  my  mind,  the  eye  that  would  compare  one  of  them  to  a  well 
modeled  ocean  steamship,  must  be  signally  wanting  in  a  percep- 
tion of  the  lines  of  beauty.  None  of  them  have  proper  masts  or 
sails — at  least  I  never  saw  a  river  steamer  in  America  under  sail 
— and  nearly  all  of  them  have  two  engines  and  two  boilers,  with 
separate  funnels  standing  in  a  line  across  the  vessel,  and  far  for- 
ward toward  her  bows.  But,  unsightly  as  some  may  think  these 
river  steamships  of  America,  no  one  can  doubt  their  utility.  Like 
most  things  our  transatlantic  friends  have  invented  for  themselves, 
they  are  wonderfully  well  adapted  for  the  purposes  for  which  they 
are  designed.  Being  intended  for  river  sailing,  and  to  convey 
large  quantities  of  produce,  and  great  numbers  of  people  by  inland 
navigation  and  along  great  arteries  of  rivers,  in  which  there  is 
little  or  nothing  of  what  is  technically  called  "  sea'^  to  be  encoun- 
tered, Jonathan  very  soon  saw,  that  to  prepare  his  vessels  in  the 
old  way,  so  as  to  require  a  lifting  up  and  lowering  down  of  the 
cargo  as  it  was  put  on  board,  and  again  a  lifting  up  from  the  hold 
and  letting  down  on  the  quay,  or  into  the  lighter,  of  the  same 
cargo  as  it  was  to  be  unladen,  was  a  mere  waste  of  time  and  of 
labour.  Accordingly,  he  so  constructed  his  steamships  to  trade  in 
his  magnificent  and  glorious  rivers.  The  cargo,  whether  it  consist 
of  live-stock  or  of  general  bales  of  merchandise,  is  put  on  board, 
and  again  unladen  in  the  easiest  possible  way ;  and,  there  being 
little  sea  encountered  in  the  course  of  the  transit,  there  is  no  ne- 
cessity for  holds  and  bulwarks  to  prevent  the  cargo  from  taking 
damage  by  the  washing  of  the  waves. 

As  before  remarked,  there  are  some  singular  features  in  the  sail 
from  Mobile  to  New  Orleans,  inside  the  screen  of  low  sandy  islets 
which  stretch  along  the  coast.  The  shores  of  the  gulf  are  very  flat, 
and  as  might  be  expected,  the  water  is  very  shallow,  so  that  skill  is 
required  in  navigating  the  ship  along.  Indeed,  in  one  part,  and  for 
a  considerable  distance,  commencing  at  a  place  named  "  Grant's 
Pass,"  the  channel  of  the  deep  water  was  staked  off  by  long  poles, 
most  of  them  having  brooms  on  the  top,  after  the  fashion  used  with 
us,  and,  I  believe,  also  in  America,  in  indicating  that  a  ship  is  for 
sale.  At  the  point  named  Grant's  Pass,  there  was  a  house  standing 
midst  the  waste  of  brown  waters  which  surrounded  it  on  all  sides, 
constituting  what  appeared  to  me  about  as  watery  and  uncomfortable 
a  location  as  I  could  have  supposed  possible—the  discomfort  being 
aggravated  by  the  conviction  that  a  very  trifling  increase  of  the 
waters  would  sweep  the  inmates  into  eternity.  I  thought  so  when  I 
saw  Grant's  Pass ;  but  my  after-experience  of  the  log-huts  of  the 
Mississippi,  when  the  river  was  in  a  state  of  flood,  convinced  me 
that  I  had  much  yet  to  learn  of  the  discomfort  to  which  ail  persons 
will  bo  disposed  to  submit  in  the  struggle  of  life.    Entering  at 


190 


NEW  ORLKANS. 


Grant's  Pass,  the  impetuous  Oregon  proceeded  in  her  course  through- 
out what  may  be  most  graphically  described  as  a  marine  race-course, 
which  continued  for  considerably  upwards  of  a  mile.  The  sea  during 
the  whole  way  was  brown  and  turbid,  and  reminded  me  strongly  of 
Captain  Basil  Hall's  description  of  the  yellowish-brown  colour  of  the 
sea  among  the  Loo-Choo  Islands.  Leaving  Mobile  about  mid-day, 
we  reached  the  point  of  disembarkation  on  Lake  Pont-chartrain 
early  next  morning ;  and,  after  a  damp  walk  to  the  trains,  started, 
in  tolerable  railway  carriages,  along  a  line  of  rails  five  miles  in 
length,  and  through  a  tract  of  country  in  which  the  land  and  water 
seemed  to  contend  for  the  mastery.  Of  the  country  passed  through, 
as  well  as  of  the  whole  country  in  and  about  New  Orleans,  there 
may  be  made  the  remark  which  Dickens,  in  his  serial  of  David 
Copperjield,  makes  of  the  town  of  Yarmouth.  "  A  mound  or  so 
might  have  improved  it ;  and,  if  the  land  had  been  a  little  more 
separated  from  the  sea,  and  the  town  and  the  tide  had  not  been  quite 
BO  much  mixed  up,  it  would  have  been  nicer."  That  it  certainly 
would.  At  times  the  characteristic  of  New  Orleans  and  of  the 
country  round  it  is,  that  it  is  one  entire  swamp.  Dig  wherever  you 
choose,  the  hole  fills  with  water,  the  consequence  of  which  is  that— 
to  use  an  expression  common  among  the  inhabitants  themselves — 
the  cellars  of  the  houses  are  of  necessity  above  ground.  Another 
consequence  is,  that  in  few  parts  of  New  Orleans  need  the  lover  of 
such  sport  dc^  rive  himself  of  the  luxury  of  a  rat  nunt. 

Such  is  New  Orleans  and  its  environs  at  all  times.  I  entered  the 
town  in  the  midst  of  an  almost  deluge  of  rain,  which  lasted  for  two 
whole  days;  and,  a  few  days  after  that,  the  "Crevasse"  broke  out, 
and  occupied  the  attention  of  the  alarmed  inhabitants  during  the 
rest  of  my  stay. 

It  is  not  my  intention  to  give  either  a  history  or  a  detailed  de- 
scription of  New  Orleans.  The  former  is  sufficiently  well  known  to 
most  readers ;  and,  being  a  matter  of  history,  can  be  easily  learned 
from  more  ambitious  works,  by  any  one  desirous  of  knowing  more 
about  the  matter;  while  the  latter  can  most  readily  be  obtained  from 
any  of  the  numerous  guide-books  to  be  found  in  New  Orleans,  as 
well  as  almost  everywhere  else.  But  there  are  one  or  two  things 
which  it  would  not  be  proper  to  leave  unmentioned. 

The  St.  Charles  Hotel,  New  Orleans,  may  almost  be  said  to  be  the 
building  of  the  city.  It  looks,  with  its  lofty  dome,  like  the  capitol 
of  the  town ;  and  from  the  summit  of  this  dome  there  is  to  be  had 
about  the  best  view  that  can  be  obtained  of  the  whole  city  and  sur- 
rounding country. 

Called  the  "  Crescent  City",  from  the  fact  that  it  is  built  along  a 
curve  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  New  Orleans  consists,  in 
reality,  of  two  towns,  which  have  a  very  different  aspect  the  one  frorn 


)urse  through- 
le  race-course, 
'he  sea  during 
ne  strongly  of 
I  colour  of  the 
bout  mid-day, 
Pont-chartrain 
rains,  started, 
five  miles  in 
ind  and  water 
issed  through, 
Orleans,  there 
•ial  of  David 
mound  or  so 
a  little  more 
Dot  been  quite 
kt  it  certainly 
is  and  of  the 
wherever  you 
hich  is  that— 
themselves — 
id.  Another 
i  the  lover  of 

I  entered  the 
asted  for  two 
i"  broke  out, 
bs  during  the 

detailed  de- 
^ell  known  to 
easily  learned 
nowing  more 
obtained  from 
w  Orleans,  as 
or  two  things 

said  to  be  the 

kc  the  capitol 

is  to  be  had 

city  and  sur- 

built  along  a 
IS  consists,  in 
t  the  one  from 


NEW  ORLEANS. 


191 


the  other.  The  smaller  and  older  part  is  that  laid  out  and  settled 
by  the  French,  who  founded  New  Orleans  in  1717,  while  the  larger 
and  newer  portion  owes  its  erection  to  the  energies  of  the  Anglo- 
Saxon  race.  The  marked  difference  between  the  two  requires  to  be 
seen  to  be  appreciated.  Words  could  give  only  a  vague  idea  of  it. 
But  some  notion  of  its  stationary  character,  under  its  first  masters, 
and  of  its  rapid  progress  since  Louisiana  changed  hands,  may  be 
gathered  from  the  following  facts.  In  1717,  New  Orleans  was 
founded  by  the  French,  and  continued  with  them  or  the  Spanish 
(who  had  it  some  forty  years)  till  1803,  when  it  fell  into  the  hands 
of  the  United  States  as  part  of  Louisiana.  At  that  time  it  could  not 
have  been  of  much  importance,  inasmuch  as,  in  1810,  it  was  found 
to  contain  only  17,242  inhabitants.  In  1820,  it  had  increased  to 
above  27,000 ;  in  1830,  to  46,310 ;  and  in  1840,  to  102,193.  At 
present  (in  1850)  it  may  be  fairly  considered  as  containing  above 
150,000  inhabitants,  and  therefore  the  fourth  city  in  the  United 
States  in  point  of  population,  while  it  is  the  third  in  point  of  com- 
merce. 

As  I  have  already  mentioned,  the  Crevasse  broke  out  while  I  was 
in  the  Crescent  City,  and  during  my  stay  it  formed  part  of  the  prin- 
cipal topics  of  conversation.  And  well  it  might.  Imagine,  reader 
a  mighty — the  mightiest — river  in  the  known  world,  having  broken 
(not  merely  overflowed,  but  broken)  its  banks  for  a  space  of  some 
naif  mile  or  so,  and  gradually,  despite  all  the  efforts  of  the  energetic 
human  inhabitants  of  the  surrounding  country,  (by  sinking  of  bar- 
ges, steamboats,  and  otherwise,)  increasing  the  extent  of  its  debou- 
chure, and  pouring  its  waters  into  the  loioer  level  of  the  conterminous 
lands.  And  imagine,  too,  that  in  the  midst  of  the  scene,  or  rather 
at  the  point  most  exposed  to  its  ravages,  the  luxurious  inhabitants 
were  making  the  increase  of  the  waters,  in  their  streets  and  around 
their  dwellings,  the  subject  of  light-hearted  chat — that  in  the  morn- 
ing your  drive  down  the  "  shell  road"  was  so  surrounded  with  water 
that  you  might  almost  have  fished  out  of  the  windows  of  the  car- 
riage as  you  passed  along;  and  your  evening  journey,  as  you  drove 
to  the  conversationef  the  dance,  or  the  theatre,  was  through  water, 
which  mounted  some  inches  up  the  spokes  of  your  carriage-wheels ; 
and  add  to  all  this,  that  the  occasional — I  had  almost  said  constant — 
subject  of  conversation,  was  the  probability  of  New  Orleans  being, 
some  fine,  or  at  least  some  floating  day,  washed  down  bodily  into  the 
Gulf  of  Mexico ! — many  sage  reasons  being  given,  and  many  great 
scientific  authorities  being  quoted,  to  prove  the  exceeding  probability 
of  such  an  event :  and  so  imagining,  you  will  have  some  idea  of  the 
characteristics  of  New  Orleans  society  at  the  time  of  my  visit,  in 
1849.  It  scarcely  required  the  ravages  of  cholera,  which  was  then 
visiting  the  city,  to  add  anything  to  the  dismals  of  the  scene ;  but  so 


192 


NEW  ORLEANS— THE  «  LEVEE." 


it  was.  In  the  town  of  New  Oileans,  and  specially  in  the  neighour- 
hood,  and  in  the  vessels  on  the  river,  cholera  was  raging  to  a  very 
considerable  extent. 

Certainly,  therefore,  it  cannot  be  supposed  that  my  visit  to  the 
Crescent  City  was  made  at  a  time  calculated  to  leave  on  my  mind  a 
very  favourable  opinion  as  to  its  salubrity ;  and  it  is  chiefly  on  that 
account  that  I  have  troubled  the  reader  with  the  above  details.  For 
notwithstanding  the  fact  that  my  opinion  was  formed  under  circum- 
stances so  disadvantageous  to  arriving  at  a  favourable  one,  I  maintain 
and  record  the  fact,  that  the  un  healthiness  of  New  Orleans  is  much 
exaggerated.  No  doubt  the  yellow  fever  visits  it  much  oftener,  and 
commits  in  it  more  fearful  ravages,  than  is  at  all  desirable ;  but  there 
are  few  places  secure  from  the  attacks  of  epidemics — and  it  is  gene- 
rally conceded  that,  with  the  greater  attention  now  paid  to  sewerage 
and  cleanliness,  the  deaths  from  yellow  fever  have  greatly  decreased, 
so  that  there  is  every  reason  to  hope  that  the  very  circumstance  of 
its  being  necessary  to  adopt  many  precautionary  measures  against 
such  periodical  attacks  may,  in  the  course  of  time,  render  New  Or- 
leans as  healthy  a  town  as  almost  any  in  the  American  Union. 

In  connexion  with  the  subject  of  the  Crevasse,  and  in  the  almost 
hourly  speculations  as  to  what  part  of  New  Orleans  was  to  be  carried 
down  into  the  Gulf,  or  whether  any  part  of  it  was  to  be  spared  that 
fate,  I  heard  such  frequent  mention  of  the  "  Levee,"  as  to  lead  me 
to  make  special  inquiry  as  to  its  nature,  uses,  and  history.  The  Levee 
of  which  one  is  doomed  to  hear  much  during  their  stay  in  New  Or- 
leans, and  which  occupies  so  important  a  position,  and  discharges 
so  important  a  duty,  as  fully  to  justify  such  constant  and  respectful 
mention  of  it,  is  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  simple  embankment  to 
prevent  the  waters  of  the  mighty  Mississippi  from  inundating  the 
fertile  though  marshy  plains  which  stretch  away  from  either  bank. 
Opposite  the  city,  the  Levee  is  of  considerable  breadth,  and  it  looks 
as  if  it  were  competent  to  the  task  assigned  it,  of  saying  to  the  turgid 
waters  of  the  "  Father  of  Rivers,"  thus  far  shalt  thou  come  but  no 
farther.  But  farther  up  the  stream — and  it  extends  upwards  for  a 
great  distance,  above  a  hundred  miles — it  seems  singularly  inade- 
quate, being  in  many  places  little  more  than  a  comparatively  small 
earthen  mound  or  (Jicottice)  "  turf  dyke."  During  my  stay  in  New 
Orleans  the  Mississippi  rose  to  a  greater  bight  than  it  had  done  for 
many  years  before ;  and  the  consequence  was  that  a  large  portion  of 
the  Levee,  about  five  miles  above  the  city,  and  to  the  extent  of  above 
half  a  mile  long,  gave  way ;  and  the  waters  continued  for  many  days 
to  pour  through  the  gap  and  into  the  surrounding  country,  destroy- 
ing property  to  a  very  largo  amount,  and  ruining  many  planters ; 
after  which  it  found  its  way  down  to  the  town,  many  streets  of  which 
were  covered  with  water  for  days.    During  this  overflow  large  num- 


- 

the  neigbour- 
jing  to  a  very 

Y  visit  to  the 
on  my  mind  a 
hicfly  on  that 
J  details.    For 
under  circum- 
ne,  I  maintain 
rieans  is  much 
h  oftener,  and 
ble ;  but  there 
and  it  is  gene- 
id  to  sewerage 
atly  decreased, 
ircumstance  of 
•asures  against 
mder  New  Or- 
n  Union. 
I  in  the  almost 
IS  to  be  carried 
be  spared  that 
as  to  lead  me 
•y.  The  Levee 
ay  in  New  Gr- 
ind discharges 
and  respectful 
mbankment  to 
nundating  the 
n  either  bank, 
and  it  looks 
I  to  the  turgid 
come  but  no 
upwards  for  a 
igularly  inade- 
iratively  small 
y  stay  in  New 
had  done  for 
rge  portion  of 
xtent  of  above 
'or  many  days 
intry,  dcstroy- 
lany  planters ; 
reets  of  which 
aw  large  num- 


NEW  ORLEANS— THE  CREVASSE. 


193 


bers  of  snakes,  and  other  reptiles  from  the  swamps,  found  their  way 
into  the  streets  of  the  Crescent  City.  Conger  snakes — the  most  venom- 
ous known  in  the  country — were  seen  in  the  water  in  several  parts 
of  the  town ;  and  a  little  girl  in  the  Faubourg  Trien^,  while  wading 
in  the  waters  flowing  along  the  street,  was,  in  May  1849,  bitten  by 
a  snake  or  some  other  reptile,  and  that  so  severely  that  she  died  in 
a  few  hours.    Such  are  part  of  the  efiects  of  a  Crevasse  in  the  Levee 
which  protects  the  town  of  New  Orleans  from  the  waters  of  the  great 
Mississippi.    At  the  time  I  write  of,  great  fears  were  entertained  for 
the  safety  of  a  considerable  portion  of  the  town  itself  j  but  by  dint 
of  great  exertion,  sinking  of  boats,  bales,  and  rafts — in  the  course  of 
doing  which,  many  of  the  Negro  slaves  employed  at  the  work  perished 
of  cholera  or  of  fatigue — the  Crevasses  were  stopped,  and,  for  a  time 
at  least,  the  Crescent  City  is  safe.    I  confess  that  it  engendered 
somewhat  of  a  strange  feeling  to  be  in  the  city  day  after  day,  while 
the  overflow  was  progressing,  and  conscious  that  it  had  not  been 
stopped,  and  that  thousands  of  tons  of  water  were  pouring  in  on  the 
plain  in  which  was  youi  dwelling — to  listen  and  take  part  in  the 
conversation  which  speculated  on  the  chance  of  the  site  of  New  Or- 
leans being  some  day  or  other  added  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico — or  the 
town  at  least  washed  down  into  the  Gulf.   There  is  a  very  prevalent 
opinion  in  New  Orleans,  that  the  bed  of  the  Mississippi  is  annually 
rising,  and  most  plausible  reasons  are  assigned  to  prove  that  such 
must  be  the  fact.   I  do  not  feel  warranted,  by  sufficient  acquaintance 
with  the  habitudes  of  this  mammoth  river,  nor  have  I  sufficiently 
studied  the  sciences  of  hydrostatics  or  hydraulics,  to  entitle  me  to 
pronounce  an  opinion  on  the  subject;  but,  without  troubling  my 
readers  with  the  pros  and  cons  of  the  argument,  I  may  be  permitted 
to  express  a  hope  that  they  will  concur  with  me  in  thinking  that, 
if  the  bed  of  Father  Mississippi  rises  from  under  him,  Father  Mis- 
sissippi would  be  quite  entitled  to  resent  the  indignity  by  getting  up 
from  his  bed.    Seriously  speaking,  however,  there  does  seem  some 
cause  for  the  opinion  referred  to  j  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  some 
one  of  the  many  courses  which  the  science  and  skill  of  modern 
engineers  have  suggested,  may  be  adopted,  and  may  be  found  suffi- 
cient to  ward  oflF  the  apprehended  danger.    That  a  large  emporium 
will  exist  on  the  site  of  New  Orleans,  or  as  near  thereto  as  the  waters 
will  permit,  till  the  end  of  time,  or  at  least  so  long  as  American  or 
Anglo-Saxon  civilisation  lasts,  will  be  abundantly  evident  to  any  one 
who  thinks  of  the  matter  with  a  map  of  the  country  in  his  hands, 
and  some  slight  knowledge  of  the  land  to  enable  him  to  understand 
it.  Situated  at  the  outlet  of  the  Mississippi,  itself  navigable  for  large 
vessels  for  nearly  three  thousend  miles — and  by  it  and  its  giant  tribu- 
taries the  Missouri,  the  Ohio,  the  Arkansas,  the  Red  River,  &c., 
connected  with  a  plain  of  unexampled  extent,  all  of  it  a  region  of 

17 


194 


NEW  ORLEANS— CEMETERIES. 


great  fertility — already  partially  peopled,  and  now  feat  peopling,  with 
the  energetic  Anglo-Saxon  race — it  is  next  to  impossible  that  New 
Orleans,  or  whatever  the  city  may  be  called  that  takes  the  place  of 
New  Orleans,  as  being  situated  at  the  extremity  of  this  line  of  inland 
communication,  can  ever  fail  to  be  a  place  of  enormous  trade  and 
exceeding  prosperity. 

New  Orleans  is  pre-eminently  a  city  of  trade — and  being  fio,  the 
most  interesting  view  in  or  of  it  is  that  of  the  harbour  from  the 
river,  with  the  forest  of  masts  stretching  almost  as  far  as  the  eye 
can  reach.  Nevertheless,  and  although  trade  is  written  in  large 
characters  on  almost  every  building,  and  on  almost  every  face,  the 
Crescent  City  makes  great  pretensions  as  a  city  of  gaiety  and 
fashion.  It  contains  three  theatres^one  French,  and  the  other 
two  English.  It  generally  has  an  operatic  company,  and  dances, 
masquerades,  and  fancy-balls,  are  of  very  frequent  occurrence. 
That  these  should  be  the  characteristics  of  a  city  so  very  much 
given  up  to  the  turmoil,  bustle,  and  business  of  mercantile  life — 
that  men  whose  time  during  the  greater  part  of  the  day  is  devoted 
to  sugar  hogsheads,  tobacco,  and  cotton  bales,  to  ships'  freights  and 
cargoes,  should  in  the  evening  feel  disposed  to  an  excess  of  devo- 
tion to  music  and  to  mirth  may  seem  surprising.  Yet  so  it  is. 
New  Orleans  is  a  place  of  great  gaiety  at  certain  seasons  of  the 
year ;  and  if  the  fact  that  the  very  devotedness  of  its  inhabitants 
to  trade  during  the  forenoon  induces  them  to  relax  in  the  refine- 
ments of  gay  life  in  the  evening,  be  not  a  sufficient  explanation, 
the  only  one  other  that  occurs  to  me  is,  that,  where  there  is  a  large 
migratory  and  changing  population— as  there  unquestionably  is  in 
New  Orleans — there  are  generally  found  many  means  provided  for 
public  amusement.  It  is  often  said,  and  there  is  much  truth  in 
the  remark,  that  the  theatres  of  London  and  Paris  are  mainly  sup- 
ported by  the  casual  visitors  to  these  great  cities. 

The  cemeteries  of  New  Orleans  may  be  classed  among  the  nota- 
bilia  of  the  place.  The  same  causes  which  compel  the  inhabitants 
to  make  their  cellars  above  ground  regulate  the  nature  and  forma- 
tion of  their  last  resting-places.  These  are  likewise  built  uporij 
instead  of  in  the  land.  Both  the  Catholic  and  Protestant  burial- 
places  are  worthy  of  a  visit.  The  former  is  the  larger  of  the  two, 
and  a  description  of  one  will  suffice  for  both.  The  Roman  Catholic 
cemetery  of  New  Orleans  is  a  very  interesting  place,  and  it  is  ren- 
dered more  so  by  the  flowers  and  shrubs  with  which  it  is  tastefully 
and  appropriately  adorned.  It  occupies  a  large  space  of  ground, 
and  contains  various  monuments,  many  of  them  both  appropriate 
and  beautiful.  Accustomed  to  associate  undulating  grounds,  caves, 
shady  walks,  and  deep  groves,  with  my  ideas  of  a  fitting  necropolis, 
I  had  not  conceived  that,  without  such  adjuncts,  a  place  of  tombs 


THF  MISSISSIPPI. 


195 


>eopling,  with 
►le  that  New 
the  place  of 
line  of  inland 
9US  trade  and 

being  «o,  the 
our  from  the 
ar  as  the  eye 
itten  in  large 
rery  face,  the 
f  gaiety  and 
tnd  the  other 
,  and  dances, 
t  occurrence. 
30  very  much 
cantile  life-^ 
ay  is  devoted 
i'  freights  and 
cess  of  devo- 
Yet  so  it  is. 
easons  of  the 
,8  inhabitants 

in  the  refine- 

explanation, 
lere  is  a  large 
tionably  is  in 

provided  for 
luch  truth  in 

mainly  sup- 

)ng  the  nota- 
e  inhabitants 
'6  and  forma- 

built  uporif 
jstant  burial- 
r  of  the  two, 
man  Catholic 
and  it  is  ren- 

is  tastefully 
e  of  ground, 

appropriate 
ounds,  caves, 
g  necropolis, 
ice  of  tombs 


could  be  made  so  grateful  to  the  feelings  of  a  sorrower  as  was  this 
cemetery  of  the  city  of  New  Orleans.  Like  the  Campo  Santo  of 
Havanna,  already  described  when  writing  of  Cuba,  the  Roman 
Catholic  graveyard  of  the  Crescent  City  is  surrounded  by  a  high 
wall,  which  is  of  great  thickness,  and  occupied  by  a  succession  of 
recesses,  to  which  access  is  had  from  the  inside.  These  recesses 
form  family  places  of  sepulture.  The  space  within  the  walls  is  oc- 
cupied by  tombs  of  marble  or  of  stone,  built  upon  the  land,  and 
constructed  so  as  to  hold  one  or  more  bodies,  which  are  thus  lite- 
rally buried  above  ground.  Some  of  these  sepulchres  are  of  very 
elegant  formation,  but  none  of  the  inscriptions  that  caught  my  eye 
seemed  to  warrant  transcription. 

The  characteristic  of  the  Protestant  cemetery  is  the  number  of 
that  most  graceful  of  all  graceful  trees — the  weeping  willow. 
These  are  planted  so  as  to  overhang  and  overshadow  the  sepulchres, 
and  they  fl*^  rish  luxuriantly  in  a  soil  so  rich,  and  otherwise  so 
congenial.' 

Ere  the  Crevasse  had  ceased  to  pour  fourth  its  waters,  I  em- 
barked at  New  Orleans  in  the  steam-sh'p  Peytona,  to  proceed 
thence  direct  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio. 
Even  now  I  can  recall  the  singular  conflict  of  feelings  with  which 
I  took  shipping  for  the  voyage  up  the  mighty  Mississippi.  It  was 
a  disappointment,  and  yet  it  was  not  so.  Since  boyhood  had  I 
been  in  the  habit  of  associating  the  name  of  this  Father  of  Rivers 
with  ideas  of  indefinite  greatness,  the  very  vagueness  of  which 
formed  the  chiefest  attraction.  And  now  I  was  at  last  upon  its 
waters,  which,  great  as  I  felt  them  to  be,  and  while  they  dispelled 
at  once  the  pictures  imagination  had  formed,  certainly  did  not  sup- 
ply by  the  reality  a  scene  adequate  to  fill  the  place  left  vacant. 
Opposite  new  Orleans  the  Mississippi  is  not  more  than  half  a  mile 
wide,  but  it  is  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
deep;  and  certainly  one  [of  the  most  striking  circumstances,  if  not 
the  most  striking  circumstance,  connected  with  a  sail  up  this 
gigantic  river,  is  fouud  in  the  fact  that,  for  such  a  long  distance — 
a  distance  of  above  fourteen  hundred  miles,  (equal  to  that  between 
England  and  Madeira,) — and  notwithstanding  the  frequent  pouring 
in  of  tributaries,  almost  as  gigantic  as  himself,  the  Mississippi  ap- 
pears to  vary  little  either  in  breadth  or  in  depth.  Few  things 
could,  I  think,  give  a  more  graphic  idea  of  the  magnitude  of  a 
great  river  than  the  fact  that  it  could  receive  the  volume  of  waters 
continuously  poured  into  it  by  streams  almost  as  large  as  itself, 
without  the  traveller  on  its  "  waste  of  waters"  perceiving  that  any 
change  has  taken  place. 

It  requires  a  very  graphic  pen  to  make  a  detailed  narrative  of 
river  scenery  interesting,  and  it  is  not  my  intention  to  try  the 


196 


THE  MISSISSIPPI. 


I'.^f' 


patience  of  my  readers  in  this  way.  Besides,  I  doubt  not  but  the 
scenery  exhibited  to  view  during  an  ascent  of  the  Mississippi  has 
been  often  described ;  and  have  we  not  Banvard's  panoramic  paint- 
ing, exhibiting  at  least  the  main  features  of  the  river,  almost  from 
its  birth  in  the  Ilocky  Mountains  till  its  grave  in  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico? 

But  I  desire,  for  the  guidance  and  information  of  those  who  may 
read  my  book,  and  afterwards  visit  the  scenes,  to  record  my  impres- 
sions and  experience  when  making  this  voyage.  Some  of  them  may 
not  be  found  to  be  much  of  the  nature  of  allurements  to  follow  my 
steps ;  but,  whatever  my  record  may  be,  I  can  at  least  promise  my 
reader  that  it  will  be  a  true  and  faithful  one. 

And  first,  then,  of  the  steam-ship  Peytona,  in  herself  a  very 
favourable  specimen  of  a  Mississippi  steam-ship.  As  a  matter  of 
course,  (seeing  the  scene  of  her  exploits  was  the  Mississippi,)  her 
engines  were  high-pressure,  but,  notwithstanding  this  fact,  she  had 
been  a  considerable  time  sailing  the  river  without  having  met  with  a 
"  blow-up,"  or,  indeed,  any  accident  of  a  serious  kind.  Apropos  of 
explosions  on  the  Mississippi,  there  is  a  very  exaggerated  notion  on 
this  subject  prevalent  in  Europe,  and  even  in  the  northern  states  of 
the  American  Union,  the  impression  generally  being  that  explosions 
on  the  Mississippi  are  matters  of  everyday,  or  at  least  of  very  fre- 
quent occurrence.  But  I  can  assure  my  readers — and  I  am  sure 
that  Captain  Browne  of  the  Peytona  will  readily  corroborate  my 
assurance — that  whatever  tourists  may  say  to  give  piquancy  to  their 
narratives,  and  whatever  painters  may  delineate  to  add  interest  and 
excitement  to  their  representations,  an  explosion  of  a  Mississippi 
steamer  is  the  exception,  but  not  the  rule.  It  is  too  expensive  a 
trade  to  be  much  indulged  in. 

The  Peytona — so-called  in  honour  of  a  famous  southern  racing 
mare,  the  property  I  believe  of  a  Mr.  Peyton — is,  or  was,  a  large 
superior  vessel  of  her  kind.  Her  extreme  length  was  two  hundred 
and  sixty  feet,  of  which  two  hundred  and  twenty-four  were  occupied 
by  her  principal  cabin — oflF  which  were  the  state  rooms,  fifty  in  num- 
ber, and  containing  two  berths  in  each.  These  state  rooms  had 
doors  entering  from  the  cabin  and  again  from  the  gallery  outside. 
The  extreme  breadth  of  the  ship  was  seventy-two  feet,  and  the  pad- 
dle-wheels were  thirty-three  feet  in  diameter.  The  vessel  was  750 
tons  burthen,  and,  notwithstanding  all  this,  the  depth  of  her  hold 
was  only  eight  feet  three  inches:  a  fact  only  to  be  explained  by 
reference  to  the  great  breadth  of  the  framework  by  which  the  whole 
was  supported.  She  was  propelled  by  two  somewhat  coarsely  fashion- 
ed steam-engines,  and  had  two  cylinders  of  thirty  and  a  half  inches 
diameter,  with  a  ten  feet  stroke. 

Take  her  all  in  all;  the  Peytona  was — and  I  hope  is — an  unques- 


t  not  but  the 
ississippi  has 
loramic  paint- 
,  almost  from 
the  Gulf  of 

lose  who  may 
rd  my  impres- 
5  of  them  may 
to  follow  my 
t  promise  my 

lerself  a  very 

lS  a  matter  of 

ssissippi,)  her 

fact,  she  had 

ing  met  with  a 

Apropos  of 

ited  notion  on 

hem  states  of 

hat  explosions 

it  of  very  fre- 

ind  I  am  sure 

jrroborate  my 

lancy  to  their 

interest  and 

a  Mississippi 

0  expensive  a 

luthern  racing 

was,  a  large 

two  hundred 

were  occupied 

fifty  in  num- 

e  rooms  had 

lery  outside. 

and  the  pad- 

ssel  was  750 

1  of  her  hold 

explained  by 

ich  the  whole 

rsely  fashion- 

i  half  inches 

■—an  unques- 


THE  MISSISSIPPI. 


197 


tionably  fine  steam-b  If  she  had  not  the  mirrors,  mahogany, 

rosewood,  and  gilding,  on  \  is  accustomed  to  see  in  the  steam-ships  of 
the  Clyde,  she  had  much  roomier  cabins,  and  everything  as  bright 
and  clean  as  paint  and  scrubbing  could  make  them — so  bright,  so 
clean,  and  so  uncontaminated  in  the  mommy,  that  it  was  truly  vex- 
atious, if  not  worse,  to  see  the  deck,  ere  evening  came,  scarcely 
visible  through  the  defilements  of  tobacco  juice,  expectorated  by  the 
passengers  at  a  great  expenditure  of  jaw  as  well  as  of  health. 

But  the  Peytona  was  not  only  good,  but  fast ;  and  in  traversing 
the  Mississippi  and  the  Ohio,  for  fourteen  hundred  miles  or  thereby 
up  to  Louisville,  Kentucky,  we  overtook  and  passed  nearly  all — if 
not  all — the  steamers  that  had  sailed  from  New  Orleans  for  distant 
ports  on  our  route,  within  four  days  of  our  leaving  New  Orleans. 
The  Niles  we  passed  without  compunction  or  competition ;  the  Bride 
we  overtook,  but  deserted  on  the  river  j  the  Concordia  we  over- 
reached and  beai,  after  a  struggle  which  elicited  shoutings  from  the 
Negro  crews  of  either  vessel  which  were  the  very  reverse  of  con- 
cord ;  and  several  other  competitors  shared  the  same  fate.  Most  of 
these  vessels  were  literally  filled  with  steerage  passengers,  chiefly 
natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle ;  and  powerfully  graphic  must  be  the 
pen  that  would  give  a  proper  idea  of  the  sufferings  these  poor  peo- 
ple frequently  have  to  endure  in  the  prosecution  of  such  a  voyage  in 
search  of  a  foreign  home — sufferings  chiefly,  if  not  altogether,  caused 
by  their  ignorance  and  inexperience,  and  consequent  inability  to 
make  proper  arrangements  even  to  the  extent  of  their  limited  means. 
I  have  much  to  say  on  this  subject,  but  for  the  present  will  forbear, 
as  I  shall  have  an  opportunity  of  recurring  to  it  in  some  after  remarks 
on  emigration  to  America,  which  I  propose  introducing  at  the  close 
of  the  book,  but  which  the  reader  may  pass  over  if  he  pleases. 
Meanwhile,  I  would  only  record  the  fact  that,  at  the  time  of  which 
I  write,  hundreds  of  unfortunate  emigrants,  who  had  gathered  their 
all  and  left  their  native  much-loved  land,  and  crossed  the  broad 
Atlantic  in  search  of  a  foreign  home,  perished  in  the  steamers,  and 
on  the  shores  of  the  Mississippi,  from  damp,  exposure,  and  the  rava- 
ges of  cholera  thereby  induced.  On  board  the  Peytona  we  had 
comparatively  few  steerage  passengers,  owin^,,  no  doubt,  to  the  pas- 
sage-money being  somewhat  higher  than  in  most  of  the  ot'-ier  steam- 
ers. In  the  cabin,  the  charge  was  twenty-five  dollars  from  New 
Orleans  to  Louisville;  and  when  it  is  considered  that  this  charge 
included  board  at  a  very  excelleut  table,  and  a  sleeping  berth  during 
a  voyage  of  above  fourteen  hundred  miles,  it  will  not  be  regarded 
as  anything  but  exceedingly  moderate.  For  about  the  same  dis- 
tance— viz.,  from  Southampton  to  Madeira — in  the  British  West 
Indian  steam-ships,  the  fare  is  five  times  as  much.  In  this,  as  well 
as  in  some  other  respects,  we  have  surely  something  to  learn  from 

17* 


m 


198 


THE  MISSISSIPPI. 


^ 


"^ML-^ 


our  transatlantic  brethren  ;  and  if  they  would  improve  somewhat  on 
their  present  system,  by  seeing  that  it  is  no  inroad  upon  the  general 
principle  of  all  men  being  equal  aii  regard  political  rights,  to  allow 
those  willing  to  spend  five  dollars  lo  have  the  accommodation  pro- 
portioned to  five  dollars,  without  tyrannically  compelling  them  to 
pay  only  one  dollar,  and  to  be  content  with  the  accommodation 
which  it  secures; — we  at  the  same  time  would  much  improve  our 
present  system,  if  we  took  greater  care  that  we  did  not  "  pay  too 
dear  for  our  whistle." 

Before  leaving  New  Orleans — ay,  before  leaving  Scotland,  or  set- 
ting my  foot  on  the  continent  of  America — my  ear  had  been  familiar 
with  extravagant  statements  as  to  the  extraordinary  speed  attained 
by  the  steamships  of  the  Mississippi.  Being  somewhat  inclined  to 
credit  the  marvels  I  heard,  my  consolation  for  the  more  mediocre 
state  of  things  in  my  native  land  of  able  but  considerate  engineers, 
was,  that  the  lightning-like  rapidity  of  the  States  was  attained  at  a 
commensuiate  risk  to  life  and  limb.  Even  in  New  Orleans,  and 
while  studying  the  proportions  or  no-proportions  of  the  marine  mon- 
sters that  lay  alongside  of  the  wharves,  I  have  heard  the  bile  of  many 
a  northern,  as  well  as  my  own  incredulity,  excited  by  statements  '.hat 
the  Peytona,  and  other  high-pressure  Mississippi  steamships,  ascended 
as  well  as  descended  the  river  at  the  rate  of  fifteen,  eighteen,  twenty, 
and  even  twenty-five  miles  an  hour,  a  preference  being  obviously 
given  to  the  latter  number :  and  many  a  wam-hearted  southern, 
whose  general  veracity  it  would  have  been  gross  injustice  to  have 
questioned,  being  prepared  to  close  the  argument  with  his  ready 
" fact — meipso  teste"  Twenty  or  twenty-five  miles  an  hour,  and 
against  a  current  fiowicg  at  the  speed  of  some  three  and  a  half  miles 
— and  that  attained  by  a  steamship  costing  not  above  one-third  the 
sum  per  ton,  that  is  expended  in  such  vessels  in  the  river  Clyde ! 
Hear  this,  ye  Napiers  aud  others,  who  have  advanced  the  name  of 
Scottish  engineers  all  over  the  globe,  and  who  have,  by  the  steam- 
ships of  your  fashioning,  to  cross  the  Channel  and  the  broad  Atlantic, 
done  more  to  promote  the  great  cause  of  civilisation,  to  bind  man  to 
man,  and  to  consolidate  peace,  than  has  been  done  by  all  the  ambas- 
sadors and  plenipoiburig.nes  ever  sent  forth,  or  all  the  statutes  placed 
upon  the  statute-book.  Hear  it,  !ind  tremble  for  your  well-earned 
laurels,  if  the  statement  he  true,  But  it  is  not  true  :  no  such  speed 
has  ever  been  attained  on  the  Mississippi,  even  by  the  most  go-ahead 
blow-up  style  of  craft  that  was  ever  launched  upon  his  turbid  waters. 
The  statistics  already  given  might  have  shown  that  the  Peytona  is 
anything  but  among  the  inferior  of  the  steamers  navigating  this  great 
highway  of  waters — in  fact  she  is  one  of  the  very  best,  and  likely  to 
continue  so — and  yet,  on  the  voyage  in  question,  she  took  exactly 
six  days  to  go  from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville.    The  distance  is 


e  somewhat  on 
(On  the  general 
igbts,  to  allow 
imodation  pro- 
slling  them  to 
iccommodution 
b  improve  our 
not  "pay  too 

Gotland,  or  set- 
l  been  familiar 
speed  attained 
lat  inclined  to 
more  mediocre 
rate  engineers, 
s  attained  at  a 
N  Orleans,  and 
le  marine  mon- 
le  bile  of  many 
statements  '^bat 
ships,  ascended 
;hteen,  twenty, 
eing  obviously 
irted  southern, 
istice  to  have 
ith  his  ready 
an  hour,  and 
id  a  half  miles 

one-third  the 
e  river  Clyde ! 
d  the  name  of 

by  the  steam- 
►road  Atlantic, 
bind  man  to 
all  the  arabas- 
jtatutes  placed 
ur  well-earned 
no  such  speed 
most  go-ahead 
turbid  waters, 
he  Peytona  is 
ting  this  great 

and  likely  to 

took  exactly 

'he  distance  is 


THE  MISSISSIPPI. 


199 


slightly  more  than  fourt'jen  hundred  miles ;  so  that,  making  allow- 
ance for  about  half  a  day  occupied  by  the  repair  of  a  paddle-wheel, 
injured  by  coming  in  contact  with  a  snag  or  sa-wyer,  her  average 
speed  was  at  the  rate  of  about  ten  miles  an  hour.  No  doubt  this  was 
against  a  somewhat  rapid  current — a  curren  t  generally,  and  by  those 
anxious  to  vaunt  the  superiority  of  the  Mississippi  boats  over  those 
of  the  northern  rivers,  or  of  Europe,  said  tc  run  at  the  rate  of  four 
miles  an  hour  j  and  which,  after  estimating  its  rapidity  by  the  move- 
ments of  the  rafts,  logs  of  wood,  travelling  sh?ps,  &c.,  which  passed 
while  we  were  stationary,  repairing  our  paddle-wheel  on  the  shore  of 
Arkansas,  I  deliberately  assert  does  not  flow  faster  than  tLree  and 
an  half  miles  an  hour.  But  the  reader  (particularly  if  a  southerner,) 
may  be  ready  to  exclaim,  ten  miles  an  liour  against  a  current  run- 
ning at  the  rate  of  three  and  a  half  miles  is  a  great  speed.  No 
doubt  it  is — and  this  is  just  one  of  the  many  instances  in  which  peo- 
ple would  act  wisely  if  they  "  let  well  alone."  The  Mississippi 
steamers  go  fast,  but  they  don't  go  faster  than  the  steamers  of  Eng- 
land and  Scotland,  or  of  the  northern  states  of  the  American  Union. 
Again,  it  may  be  natural  to  ask,  if  such  is  the  speed  of  the  steamers 
when  sailing  up  and  against  the  stream,  what  is  their  speed  when 
moving  down,  when  they  are  not  only  relieved  from  the  obstruction 
of  the  current,  but  aided  by  its  flow  in  the  direction  thay  are  sailing 
in  ?  I  cannot  speak  from  personal  experience  of  this,  never  having 
sailed  down  the  ocean  rivers  of  the  Western  World.  But  I  have 
made  inquiry  on  the  subject  when  on  the  spot,  and  I  have  tested  the 
vruth  of  the  information  I  received  in  answer  to  my  inquiries,  by  a 
piece  of  real  evidence  which  could  not  deceive  me.  Having  been 
detained  an  extra  day  at  New  Orleans,  waiting  the  arrival  of  the 
Peytona  from  her  downward  voyage  from  Louisville,  I  had  occasion 
to  know,  and  did  know,  when  she  reached  New  Orleans :  and  when 
on  board  of  her  going  up,  I  observed  and  read  the  notice  on  the 
board  which  contained  the  announcement  of  the  time  at  which  she 
had  actually  left  Louisville  on  her  said  voyage  downwards.  The  re- 
sult corroborated  the  verbal  statements  made  to  me  in  answer  to  my 
inquiries  on  the  subject,  which  was,  that  a  steamer  takes  about  as 
much  time  to  go  down  as  she  does  to  go  up.  The  fact  is  so  j  and 
the  explanation  is,  that,  when  going  down,  vKese  steamers  are  laden, 
if  not  overladen,  with  enormously  heavy  cargoes  of  merchandise — 
cotton  in  particular.  No  one  who  has  seen  a  Mississippi  steamer 
laden  with  cotton  bales,  going  down  the  Mississippi,  will  discredit 
this  statement.  They  look  literally  like  floating  storehouses  of  cot- 
ton; and  when  it  is  kept  in  view  tliat  each  of  these  steamers  brings 
down  from  one  thousand  to  three  thousand  bales,  the  illustration  will 
not  seem  in  any  way  extravagant.  Nor  are  the  numbers  of  such 
ships,  met  with  on  the  voyage  upwards,  by  any  means  small ;  it  was 


20C 


THE  MISSISSIPPI. 


S  1    M 


^^SlI 


by  no  means  a  rare  or  an  unusual  sight :  many  were  encountered  be- 
tween sunrise  and  sunset,  and  those  that  met  and  passed  us  in  the 
course  of  the  night,  may  reasonably  be  presumed  to  have  been  at 
least  as  numerous. 

Such  and  so  numerous  are  the  ste&ui  ships  of  the  Mississippi.  Of 
the  general  character  and  characteristics  of  the  travellers  met  with, 
in  traversing  its  ^  'aters,  I  have  already  written  according  to  my  ex- 
perience of  them.     Next  to  these,  the  inquiry  will  naturally  be  as 
to  the  scenery  opened  up  to  view  in  passing  along  these  rivers.  And 
here  too,  I  fear,  my  truthful  narrative  must  be  scarcely  in  accord- 
ance with  those  of  more  enthusiastic  voyagers.     That  there  is  much 
to  interest  in  a  sail  up  the  Mississippi,  is  undeniably  the  truth.   The 
very  vastness  of  the  river  itself,  as  it  pours  its  waters  along  through 
the  wilderness  J    the  deep  solitude  through  which  you  pass;  the 
solemn  gloom,  which  is  the  prevailing  characteristic  of  the  whole 
scene ;  and  the  giant  rivers,  only  second  to  the  great  Father  of 
Waters  himself,  which  from  age  to  age  continue  ceaselessly  to  pour 
their  waters  into  his  mighty  and  turgid  strear^^,  but  without  making 
any  apparent  change  either  in  its  opaqueness  or  in  its  volume,  are 
all  circumstances  which  render  the  scenery  of  the  Mississippi  pe- 
culiarly striking.     But  if  the  landscape  is  impressive,  it  is  certainly 
only  impressive  frcm  its  loneness  and  its  vastness.     There  is  a  dis- 
mal sameness  about  it  which  is  most  depressing  to  the  spirits;  and, 
during  the  whole  oi  the  passage  from  New  Orleans  to  Louisville,  I 
felt  a  depression  most  foreign  to  my  nature,  and  most  inimical  to 
anything  like  jest  or  amusement ;  while,  if  I  might  judge  from  the 
demeanour  of  the  rest  of  my  white  fellow-voyagers,  my  feelings  were 
participated  in  by  nearly  all  on  board.     No  doubt,  brother  Jonathan 
is  not  generally  either  a  mirth-loving  or  a  mirth-moving  animal — at 
least,  as  regards  his  public  appearances,  it  is  but  seldom  that  he  per- 
petrates a  joke-— and  nothing  can  be  more  solemn  (I  had  almost  said 
ridiculously  solemn)  than  the  gravity  and  seriousness  with  which  the 
travellers  on  the  great  routes  and  highways  of  the  United  States  set 
to  the  business  of  eating  and  drinking,  at  their  public  tables.     No 
doubt,  with  all  wise  men,  the  business  of  eating  and  drinking  is  quite 
entitled  to  be  considered  as  a  serious  affair ;   but  theio  is  certainly 
neither  philosophy  in.  nor  necessity  for,  the  ctreroe  solemnity  and 
silence  with  wh'ob^  at  their  public  tables,  (in  private  it  is  very  dif- 
ferent,) our  republican  brethren  address  themselves  to  their  meals. 
Dickens,  in  his  Notes,  asserts,  with  reference  to  such  meals  in 
America,  that  "undertakers  on  duty  would  be  sprightly  beside 
them ;  and  a  collation  of  funeral  baked  meats,  in  comparison  with 
their  mealy,  would  be  a  sparkling  festivity."    The  remark  is  unduly 
severe,  and  in  it  truth  is  somewhat  sacrificed  at  the  shrine  of  effect. 
But  there  is  enough  of  truth  in  it  to  make  it  worthy  of  consideration 


•« 


THE  MISSISSIPPI. 


201 


icountered  be- 
3sed  us  in  the 
have  been  at 

'ississippi.  Of 
jrs  met  with, 
Dg  to  my  ex- 
tturally  be  as 
3  rivers.  And 
i\y  in  accord- 
there  is  much 
le  truth.   The 
ilong  through 
ou  pass;  the 
of  the  whole 
it  Father  of 
lessly  to  pour 
;hout  making 
3  volume,  are 
ississippi  pe- 
lt is  certainly 
ere  is  a  dis- 
spirits;  and, 
Louisville,  I 
t  inimical  to 
ge  from  the 
'eelings  were 
ler  Jonathan 
animal — at 
that  he  per- 
almost  said 
th  which  the 
od  States  set 
tables.     No 
sing  is  quite 
is  certainly 
lemnity  and 
is  very  dif- 
their  meals, 
h  meals  in 
htly  beside 
larison  with 
k  is  unduly 
le  of  effect. 
}nsideration 


on  the  part  of  those  to  whom  it  relates.  A  joke  (even  though  a  bad 
one)  is  a  great  improver  of  social  intercourse,  as  well  as  an  import- 
ant aid  to  digestion ;  and  light,  cheerful  discourse  ic  unquestionably 
the  very  best  seasoner  of  all  repasts.  It  may  be  said  of  a  joke  what 
the  Scotchman  affirmed  of  a  dram — a  good  meal  deserves  it  and  a 
bad  one  requires  it ;  so  that,  whether  the  viands  be  good  or  bad,  the 
general  comfort  and  happiness  is  improved  thereby.  But  the  meals 
on  board  the  steam-ship  Peytona,  when  voyaging  on  the  Mississippi, 
were  even  more  melancholy  affairs  than  usual.  Even  now,  I  can  re- 
call them  only  with  the  feelings  with  which  one  recalls  the  perform- 
ance of  a  duty ;  and,  amidst  the  whole  reminiscences,  I  can  scarcely 
remember  one  flitting  smile  as  having  passed  over  the  faces  of  any 
of  my  fellow-travellers,  (albeit  there  were  several  fair  ones  among 
them,)  while  engaged  in  the  discharge  of  their  daily  task  of  eating 
and  drinking.  As,  therefore,  I  felt  uiiwonted  depression  under  the 
influences  of  the  scenery,  it  is  fair  to  Imagine  that  similar  feelings 
experienced  by  my  fellow- voyagers.  On,  on  we  went,  by  night  and 
day,  through  a  continuity  of  forest  scenery  of  a  perfectly  same 
character — so  much  so  that,  when  looking  out  on  the  bank  of  the 
river  at  night,  before  going  to  bed,  and  again  when  gazing  forth  in 
the  same  direction  next  morning,  you  could  have  sworn  that  you 
saw  the  same  morass  and  the  same  trees,  although  a  distance  of 
eighty  or  ninety  miles  divided  the  one  spot  from  tho  other.  But, 
dismal  in  their  dreary  and  pestilential  solitudes  as  the  shores  of  the 
Mississippi  are  at  all  times,  they  were  especially  so  at  the  period  of 
which  I  write.  The  river  was  very  high — higher  than  it  had  been 
since  1816;  and,  for  several  hundred  miles  above  New  Orleans,  the 
land  along  its  banks  was  one  flooded  as  well  as  wooded  swamp.  The 
slimy  water  was  seen  far  in  among  the  trees,  far  as  the  eye  could 
penetrate ;  and  log  huts,  and  other  dwellings  of  the  people  who  lived 
along  the  banks  of  the  river,  were  so  completely  surrounded  with 
water,  as  to  render  it  necessary  for  their  occupants  to  use  boats  as 
their  means  of  entrance  and  of  exit.  In  point  of  fact,  the  only  living 
inmates  of  such  locations  that  seemed  to  be  at  all  in  circumstances 
of  tolerable  comfort,  were  the  ducks  or  geese,  which  sailed  about  the 
dwellings  "rejoicing  like  boon  companions  over  their  liquor;"  and 
even  these  animals  must  occasionally  have  felt  the  want  of  a  dry 
nest  to  repose  in,  after  the  fatigue  of  a  day's  ploughing  in  the  muddy 
waters  of  the  great  Father  of  Eivers.  In  many  case«  the  waters  had 
risen  far  above  the  level  of  the  floors  of  the  d-vei'j^ngs;  but,  not 
being  privileged  to  see  the  interiors  of  the  "  Edens  of  the  west/* 
we  could  not  say  how  far  the  inhabitants  may  have  succeeded  in 
turning  the  circumstances  to  good  account,  or  in  resisting  its  evil 
influences. 
With  such  scenes  presented  day  after  day,  and  hour  after  hour, 


■^« 


202 


(THE  MISSISSIPPI. 


it  was  only  a  fitting  tribute  to  the  gifted  author  of  Martin  Chuz- 
zlewit,  that  the  recollection  of  his  description  of  Martin  and  Mark 
Tapley  going  to  and  at  the  site  of  the  projected  city  of  Eden, 
should  have  risen  frequently  to  my  mind.  "  By  degrees  the  towns 
in  the  route  became  more  thinly  scattered,  and  for  many  hours 
together  they  would  see  no  other  habitations  than  the  huts  of  the 
woodcutters  where  the  vessel  stopped  for  fuel.  Sky,  wood,  and  water 
all  the  livelong  day,  and  heat  that  blistered  everything  it  touched." 

Another  general  characteristic  of  voyaging,  or  rather  steaming, 
on  the  Mississippi,  is  the  total  absence  of  sailing  craft.  For  thou- 
sands of  miles  on  the  Mississippi  and  its  tributaries,  you  will  not 
Bee  a  single  vessel  under  sail.  In  this  respect  it  contrasts  remark- 
ably with  its  lovely  rival  in  American  scenic  fame,  the  sprightly,  glo- 
rious Hudson,  on  steaming  upon  which  you  are  continually  greeted 
with  that  loveliest  of  all  lovely  objects  connected  with  a  river  or  sea 
view — a  host  of  vessels  under  canvas.  In  lieu  of  such,  but  a 
very  poor  substitute,  the  Mississippi  has  her  flat-boats  or  floating 
storehouses — her  travelling  shops  and  family  moving  mansions — 
and  occasionally  her  floating  theatres  or  places  of  public  exhibi- 
tion. But  all  these  are  going  down,  floating  lazily  on  the  down- 
ward stream,  guided,  but  scarcely  impelled,  by  long  poles  or  sweeps 
held  in  the  hands  of  the  boatmen ;  and  if  any  of  them  sported 
anything  of  the  nature  of  a  sail,  it  was  so  far  remote  from  a  sai- 
lor's idea  of  such,  that  it  may  without  injustice  be  left  out  of  con- 
sideration altogether. 

Previous  to  the  establishment  of  steamers,  the  whole  trade  of 
the  Mississippi  was  conducted  by  means  of  those  flat-bottomed 
boats ;  and  even  yet  they  form  so  distinct  and  so  characteristic  a 
feature  of  the  sail,  that  any  description  of  the  river,  without  pro- 
minent mention  of  them,  would  be  incomplete.  In  such  vessels 
or  hollow  rafts,  the  produce  is  floated  down  from  distances  of  three 
thousand  miles,  and  lesser  distances,  to  the  town  of  New  Orleans, 
there  to  be  disposed  of  by  shipment  or  otherwise.  The  boats  are 
little  more  than  square  boxes,  the  roof  somewhat  rounded,  and  a 
large  space  occupied  as  the  hold,  containing  Indian  corn  and  other 
farm  produce,  and  a  smaller  portion  being  occupied  by  the  human 
inhabitants  of  this  floating  habitation.  The  boat  moves  along  with 
the  flow  of  the  river,  which  runs  at  the  rate  of  about  three  and  a 
half,  and  under  four  miles  an  hour ;  while  the  boatmen  regulate 
its  motions  by  means  of  long  poles.  In  piloting  themselves  along, 
these  boatmen  encounter  much  risk  as  well  from  steamers  dur- 
ing the  night  as  from  "  snags,"  "  planters,"  and  "  sawyers,"  both 
by  night  and  day,  and  even  still  more  from  the  eddies,  of  which 
many  are  to  be  found  in  the  river.  I  was  told  a  story  of  a  party 
on  board  a  flat  boat  being  surprised  to  hear  a  continuous  strain  of 


pose  o 
for  su 
steamt 
to  rep< 
in  one 
by  hei 
percei'' 
selves 


Martin  Clvua- 
'tin  and  Mark 
city  of  Eden, 
rees  the  towns 
r  many  hours 
le  huts  of  the 
ood,  and  water 
g  it  touched." 
her  steaming, 
ft.     For  thou- 
!,  you  will  not 
trasts  remark- 
sprightly,  glo- 
iiually  greeted 
L  a  river  or  sea 
'  such,  but  a 
a.ts  or  floating 
ig  mansions — 
public  exhibi- 
on  the  down- 
oles  or  sweeps 
them  sported 
te  from  a  sai- 
}ft  out  of  eon- 
hole  trade  of 
flat-bottomed 
laracteristic  a 
,  without  pro- 
i  such  vessels 
ances  of  three 
New  Orleans, 
he  boats  are 
unded,  and  a 
)rn  and  other 
y  the  human 
es  along  with 
three  and  a 
men  regulate 
selves  along, 
teamers  dur- 
wyers,"  both 
ies,  of  which 
y  of  a  party 
ous  strain  of 


THE  MISSISSIPPI. 


203 


music  and  mirth  for  some  six  or  eight  hours,  which  fell  on  their 
ears,  as  they  imagined  themselves  to  be  floating  onwards  at  the 
rate  of  four  miles  per  hour.  But  when  morning  broke,  they  found 
that  they  had  been  merely  sailing  round  and  round  in  an  eddy,  in 
one  of  the  bends  of  the  river — the  said  eddy  being  caused  by  one 
of  those  sudden  changes  which  are  so  frequent  in  the  Mississippi, 
and  the  music  being  the  strains  from  the  fiddle  of  a  man,  whose 
solitary  house  they  had  passed  and  repassed  in  the  course  of  their 
gyrations.  Some  of  these  flat  boats  are  of  a  smaller  size,  and  are 
occupied  as  floating  shops,  containing  and  retailing  supplies  of  tea, 
tobacco,  candles,  groceries,  and  other  articles,  for  the  use  of  the 
inhabitants  along  the  banks.  In  some  others,  the  trades  of  tin- 
kers, smiths,  &c.,  are  carried  on,  as  they  journey  down  the  river, 
making  fast  to  the  river-side  at  every  place  where  the  circum- 
stances make  it  expedient.  All  at  last  reach  New  Orleans,  where, 
as  it  is  impossible  to  sail  up  again  against  the  current,  they  dis- 
pose of  their  temporary  floating-house,  (or  abandon  it,  if  the  market 
for  such  articles  be  glutted,)  and  return  by  one  or  other  of  the 
steamers  to  the  place  whence  they  had  originally  set  out,  probably 
to  repeat  the  same  thing  again  and  again.  Sometimes  the  interest, 
in  one  of  these  flat  boats  and  its  motley  inhabitants,  is  increased 
by  hearing  from  it  the  strains  of  a  fiddle,  or  of  a  banjo,  or  by 
perceiving  that  the  Negroes  or  others  on  board,  are  amusing  them- 
selves by  dancing.  When  formerly  writing  of  the  apparent  de- 
pression of  spirits  exhibited  by  the  party  on  board  the  Peytona,  I 
used  advisedly  the  term  "  white  "  fellow-passengers,  for  assuredly 
the  remark  does  not  apply  to  the  Negro.  Sambo  is  generally 
in  good  spirits,  and  boisterous  in  his  mirth,  as  any  one  will  admit 
who  has  heard  the  shouting,  laughing,  jibing,  and  singing,  be- 
tween the  Negroes  on  board  two  Mississippi  steamships,  as  they 
struggle  for  precedence  during  one  of  those  too  common  and  very 
dangerous  races  up  or  down  the  river. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  wood  is  the  fuel  used  in  the  Mississippi 
and  Ohio  steam-ships,  although,  after  ascending  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, some  coals  may  be  had,  and  are  often  taken  on  board.  But 
wood  is  the  principal  fuel,  and  the  mode  of  wooding  is  a  very  simple 
In  going  down,  the  steamer  requires  to  stop  and  come  to,  to 


one. 


get  the  wood  put  on  board  from  the  floats  on  which  it  is  lying 
heaped  up  in  what  is  called  "  cords,"  or  piles  of  a  certain  specific 
length  and  depth,  because  the  floats  could  not  be  brought  back  if 
allowed  to  float  to  any  distance  down  the  current.  But  in  going  up, 
this  detention  is  avoided.  The  steamer  goes  close  to  the  bank — the 
woodman  and  his  assistants  having  been  previously  hailed,  and  being 
ready  to  put  off"  his  float  or  floats ;  and,  one  or  more  of  the  boats 
or  rafts  being  attached  by  the  hawsers  of  the  steamer  to  the  pant- 


204 


THE  MISSISSIPPI. 


ing  monster,  the  latter  then  proceeds  on  her  upward  course,  drag- 
ging the  wood  boats  with  her,  and  only  slightly  retarded,  and 
panting  a  little  more  by  the  additional  weight  which  she  has  thus 
to  drag  through  the  waters.  This  being  done,  the  clerk  of  the 
steam-ship,  or  his  assistant,  proceeds  on  board  the  raft  or  rafts,  and 
measures  the  wood,  and  the  price  being  then  adjusted,  (if  it  has 
not  been  so  before,)  parties  from  the  steamer  then  proceed  to  aid 
the  boatmen  to  empty  the  floats  of  their  cargoes,  by  throwing  the 
large  billets  ^four  feet  long)  on  to  the  deck  of  the  steamer.  "  Many 
hands  make  light  work ; "  and  it  being  a  matter  of  importance  to 
both  parties  concerned,  that,  on  the  one  hand,  the  steamer  should 
not  be  retarded  by  the  wood  boats  longer  than  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary, and  that,  on  the  other  hand,  the  woodmen  should  have  as  short 
a  retur  voyage  as  possible,  it  is  striking  the  rapidity  with  which 
large  floats  are  emptied  of  their  contents.  At  first  I  was  surprised 
at  the  numbers  of  workmen  that  poured  from  the  steamer  to  the 
raft,  as  soon  as  the  moorings  were  fastened — or  even  before — and 
erroneously  imagined  that  the  Mississippi  steamers  must  have  an 
unusually  large  complement  of  hands.  But  on  inquiring  at  the 
master  (and  I  believe  owner)  of  the  ship,  I  found  that  the  many 
hands  who  thus  make  light  work  of  the  wooding  were  most  of  them 
Mississippi  boatmej,  who,  having  sailed  down  the  river  with  their 
rafts  and  merchandise,  and  having  disposed  of  both  the  latter  at 
New  Orleans,  were  now  returning  to  their  homes,  and  thus  "  work- 
ing their  passage"  upwards,  in  a  very  praiseworthy  spirit,  saving 
their  pockets  by  aiding  in  putting  the  fuel  on  board  the  steam-ship. 
In  sailing  up  the  Mississippi,  from  New  Orleans  to  its  junction 
with  the  Ohio,  and  again  up  the  Ohio  as  far  as  the  town  of  Louis- 
ville, in  the  state  of  Kentucky,  and  of  Cincinnati  in  the  state  of 
Ohio,  you  pass  in  succession,  either  on  the  right  or  left  hand,  along 
the  shores  of  the  states  of  Louisiana,  Mississippi,  Arkansas,  Ten- 
nessee, Missouri,  Illinois,  Kentucky,  Indiana,  and  Ohio.  You  thus 
have  a  fair  opportunity  of  contrasting  at  least  the  general  outward 
aspect  of  some  of  the  slaveholding  states,  with  that  of  states  where 
slavery  is  unknown,  or  has  been  abolished ;  and,  truth  to  say,  the 
contrast  is  very  great — so  great  as  to  be  in  itself  a  powerful  sermon 
in  favour  of  abolition.  But  the  "  sermon  "  here  is  not  "  in  trees," 
but  ir  the  want  of  them.  The  white  labourer,  with  his  arm  of 
freedom,  seems  alone  capable  of  struggling  successfully  against  the 
giants  of  the  forest ;  and,  wherever  you  see  a  tract  of  ground  more 
than  usually  clear,  and  of  more  than  common  fertility,  as  you  sail 
up  the  mighty  stream  of  the  Mississippi,  and  gaze  on  the  vast  soli- 
tudes which  are  to  be  seen  on  its  banks,  rest  assured  that  the  party 
you  are  so  gazing  on  belongs  to  a  free  state,  and  not  to  a  slavehold- 
ing one.  . 


w 

QgU 

Once 

the 

over 

shade 

a  lar^ 

hours 

the 


[  course,  drag- 
retarded,  and 
i  she  has  thus 
I  clerk  of  the 
t  or  rafbS;  and 
ted,  (if  it  has 
proceed  to  aid 
throwing  the 
imer.    "  Many 
importance  to 
teamer  should 
solutely  necee- 
have  as  short 
ty  with  which 
was  surprised 
fceamer  to  the 
1  before— and 
must  have  an 
[uiring  at  the 
bat  the  many 
most  of  them 
ver  with  their 
the  latter  at 
thus  "work- 
spirit,  saving 
le  steam-ship. 
>  its  junction 
)wn  of  Louis- 
the  state  of 
't  hand,  along 
rkansas,  Ten- 
0.     You  thus 
leral  outward 
states  where 
h  to  say,  the 
erful  sermon 
"in  trees,'* 
his  arm  of 
r  against  the 
ground  more 
as  you  sail 
he  vast  soli- 
lat  the  party 
a  slavehold- 


THE  MISSISSIPPI. 


205 


When  mentioning  the  process  of  clearing,  I  am  reminded  of  the 
singular  effect  produced  by  the  mode  in  which  this  is  gone  about. 
Once  or  oftener,  in  the  course  of  a  day,  there  is  to  be  seen,  from 
the  upper  deck  of  the  steamer,  a  largo  tract  of  still  wooded  country, 
over  which  it  would  seem  as  if  the  angel  of  death  had  cast  his 
shade.  A  bligbt  has  passed  over  all  the  gigantic  forest  trees  within 
a  large  circumference,  and  the  viridity  of  their  still  flourishing  neigh- 
bours, by  whom  the  plague-struck  spot  is  surrounded,  only  renders 
the  blasted  and  brown  appearance  of  the  stricken  trees  the  more 
remarkable.  And  truly  they  are  stricken — literally  stricken — and 
that  by  the  axe  wielded  by  the  stalworth  arm  of  the  backwoodsman. 
The  process  which  engenders  the  appearance  described  is  shortly 
this :  When  it  has  been  resolved  to  clear  any  portion  of  land  of  the 
timber  growing  on  it,  the  first  step  taken  by  the  woodcutter  is,  to 
cut  a  notch  some  inches  deep  into  and  through  the  bark,  at  the  bot- 
tom of  the  trees.  This  prevents  the  ascent  of  the  sap ;  the  trees 
wither  and  decay,  and  of  course  speedily  assume  the  blighted  ap- 
pearance already  referred  to — and  thus  they  stand  until,  being  suf- 
ficiently decayed,  the  next  powerful  storm  of  wind  comes  in  aid  of 
the  woodcutter's  operations,  by  levelling  them  with  the  ground. 
Ere  this  consummation  is  attained,  the  trees  have  the  blasted  appear- 
ance to  which  allusion  has  been  above  made. 

Who  is  there  who  has  heard  of  the  navigation  of  the  Father  of 
Rivers,  without  hearing  of  the  "snags"  and  "sawyers,"  which  form 
impediments  and  dangers  to  be  encountered  in  navigating  his  stream  ? 
The  vast  volume  of  waters  moving  through  the  great  alluvial  plain, 
and  ofttimes  overflowing  large  portions  of  it,  frequently  changes 
their  course  and  direction.  The  bank  on  one  side  is  undermined 
for  a  considerable  distance,  and  then  disappears  in  the  mighty, 
muddy  stream,  carrying  down  to  the  bottom  with  it  the  trees  grow- 
ing upon  its  surface ;  which  trees  ofttimes  get  stopped  by  some 
shoal,  and  are  then  embedded  in  the  bottom  of  the  river  by  gradual 
accumulations  of  sand.  On  the  other  or  opposite  bank,  in  most 
cases,  there  is  a  proportionate  part  of  the  former  bed  of  the  river 
left  exposed  and  comparatively  dry,  and  the  part  from  which  the 
I  water  has  thus  receded  is  speedily — indeed  ere  the  season  closes — 
covered  with  a  luxuriant  crop  of  young  cotton-wood  trees.  The 
trees  overwhelmed  and  sunk  in  the  new  channel  the  river  has  formed 
for  itself,  are  known  by  the  terms  "snags"  or  "sawyers,"  according 
to  their  powers  of  doing  mischief.  When  the  submerged  tree  stands 
upright  and  fixed,  it  is  less  objectionable,  and  is  called  a  "snag,"  or 
occasionally  a  "planter;"  while,  when  the  end  which  rises  abovo 
the  water  points  in  a  slanting  direction,  and  dips  up  and  down  as  it 
is  moved  by  the  current,  its  characteristically  descriptive  name  is  a 


"  sawyer." 


18 


206 


THE  OHIO. 


ft,     ;:§,( 


Thunder-storms  are  of  very  frequent  occurrence  about  the  shores 
of  the  Mississippi ;  and  what  has  been  already  said  of  the  loneness 
of  the  scene,  will  prepare  the  reader  for  the  statement,  that  there  is 
much  that  is  very  imposing  and  impressive  in  the  rolling  and  rever- 
berating of  the  thunder,  and  the  flashing  of  the  lightning  on  this 
gigantic  river,  and  among  these  vast  sylvan  solitudes.  It  seems  as 
if  it  were  the  only  artillery  proportionate  to  the  scene. 

Another  feature  of  the  Mississippi,  already  noticed  when  writing 
of  the  steamboats,  is  the  total  absence  of  vessels  under  sail.  During 
a  ten  days'  sail  on  the  broad  deep  stream,  I  did  not  perceive  any 
nearer  approach  to  a  white  sail  than  was  to  be  seen  in  the  square 
dirty  rag  of  some  bargeman,  who  was  thus  endeavouring  to  aid  the 
power  of  the  downward  current,  by  seeking  a  little  assistance  from 
a  favouring  breeze. 

About  three  hundred  miles  up  the  river  from  New  Orleans  stands 
the  town  of  Natchez — containing  some  five  or  six  thousand  inhabit- 
ants^-divided  into  Natchez  on  the  hill,  and  Natchez  under  the  hill, 
and  having  a  short  time  back  a  very  villainous  reputation,  as  the  place 
of  harbourage  of  various  bands  of  gamblers  and  other  disreputables, 
but  now  enjoying  a  somewhat  better  and  an  improving  character. 

About  two  hundred  miles  beyond  Natchez,  the  steamer  touches 
at  the  very  picturesque  little  town  of  Vicksburg,  (famous  for  the 
summary  justice  some  years  ago  executed  on  the  persons  of  a  band 
of  these  very  same  gamblers,  already  mentioned)  j  and  steaming  on- 
wards for  some  five  hundred  miles  farther,  and  passing  various  small 
stations,  including  Helena,  a  town  of  ab^ut  five  hundred  inhabitants, 
(lately  the  scene  of  a  diabolical  tragedy  *n  the  burning  of  a  slave,) 
you  arrive  at  the  town  of  Memphis,  a  town  which— despite  the  an- 
cient name  that  has  been  given  to  it — ^bears  as  many  of  the  marks 
of  modem  movement  as  any  upon  the  route.  One  or  two  days'  far- 
ther steaming  brings  you  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  into  which  I 
passed,  with  anything  save  a  feeling  of  regret  that  I  was  exchanging 
the  dull  oppressive  sameness  of  the  Mississippi,  for  the  somewhat 
bolder  and  more  varied  scenery  of  the  Ohio.  Up  the  latter  river  we 
proceeded  through  a  succession  of  views,  which,  although  certainly 
a  great  improvement  on  that  of  the  larger  stream  of  which  it  is  a 
gigantic  tributary,  did  not,  in  my  opinion,  exhibit  any  peculiarities 
to  induce  me  to  add  to  the  descriptions  of  previous  writers. 

We  proceeded,  in  the  first  place  to  the  town  of  Louisville,  in  Ken- 
tucky, (a  very  improving  town  of  some  40,000  inhabitants,)  and 
thereafter  to  Cincinnati — now  the  largest  city  in  the  Western  States 
of  the  American  Union. 


STATE  OF  OHIO. 


207 


ut  the  shores 
the  loncncss 
that  there  is 
ig  and  rever- 
ning  on  this 
It  seems  as 

when  writing 
sail.  During 
perceive  any 
n  the  square 
ng  to  aid  the 
sistance  from 

)rleans  stands 
isand  inhabit- 
nder  the  hill, 
1,  as  the  place 
disreputables, 
character, 
amer  touches 
mous  for  the 
ms  of  a  band 
steaming  on- 
various  small 
d  inhabitants, 
g  of  a  slave,) 
spite  the  an- 
of  the  marks 
wo  days'  far- 
into  which  I 
is  exchanging 
le  somewhat 
itter  river  we 
ugh  certainly 
vhich  it  is  a 
peculiarities 
ers. 

dlle,  in  Ken- 
)itants,)  and 
estern  States 


CHAPTER  X. 

, «  The  fall  of  waters  and  the  song  of  birds, 
And  hills  that  echo  to  the  distant  herds, 

Are  luxuries  excelling  all  the  glare  , 

The  world  can  boost,  and  bor  chief  fav'rites  share." 

COWPEE. 

Dickens  and  others  have  called  Cincinnati  a  "  beautiful  city" ; 
and,  while  I  am  not  prepared  to  admit  the  entire  appropriateness  of 
the  appellation,  I  certainly  think  it  a  ery  handsome  town.  The  ex- 
traordinary rapidity  of  its  progress  is,  however,  the  most  important 
circumstance  connected  with  its  history.  Even  Mrs.  TroUope  would 
now  scarcely  recognise  Cincinnati,  so  much  has  it  changed  and  in- 
creased during  'the  few  years  that  have  elapsed  since  it  was  made  by 
her  the  chosen  spot  of  her  temporary  sojourn ;  and,  judging  of  for- 
mer manners  by  her  portraiture  of  them,  those  of  the  inhabitants  of 
Cincinnati  must  have  made  equal  progress  with  the  buildings  of  the 
city. 

"  Fifty  years  ago,"  said  General  Harrison,  in  a  discourse  delivered 
by  him  before  the  historical  society  of  Ohio,  "  there  was  not  a  Chris- 
tian inhabitant  within  the  bounds  which  now  comprise  the  state  of 
Ohio,"  (an  extent  of  territory  of  nearly  forty-four  thousand  square 
miles  j)  "  and  if,  a  few  years  anterior  to  that  period,  a  traveller  had 
been  passing  down  the  magnificent  river  which  forms  our  southern 
boundary,  he  might  not  have  seen  in  its  whole  course  of  eleven  hun- 
dred miles  a  single  human  being — certainly  not  a  habitation,  nor  the 
vestige  of  one  calculated  for  the  residence  of  man."  And  now  what 
a  change  !  In  1790,  the  whole  population  of  the  state  of  Ohio  did 
not  exceed  three  thousand;  in  1840  it  had  reached  1,519,467;  and 
now,  in  the  close  of  1849,  it  cannot  be  much  less  than  two  millions. 
But  the  contrast  between  the  past  and  present  is  best  illustrated  by 
confining  attention  to  the  town  of  Cincinnati.  In  1796,  Cincinnati 
was  simply  a  small  village  of  log  cabins,  consisting  of  some  dozen 
wooden  huts  or  houses ;  and  I  saw,  in  the  possession  of  an  intelligent 
citizen,  a  sketch  of  it,  representing  it  as  it  was  in  this  condition. 
Now,  within  little  more  than  half  a  century,  it  is  a  city  of  nearly 
120,000  inhabitants ;  and  it  is  still,  by  births  and  emigration,  in- 
creasing (as  I  was  informed  by  professional  gentlemen  of  influence 
and  intelligence)  at  a  rate  of  about  ten  thousand  annually.  The 
streets  of  Cincinnati  are  wide,  regular,  and  at  right  angles  with  each 
other ;  and  were  they  somewhat  better  paved,  it  would  be  a  great 
improvement.  This  is,  however,  a  charge  which  may  be  generally 
advanced  against  the  transatlantic  cities.    In  some  of  thcm^  indeed. 


208 


CINCINNATI. 


good  paving  is  not  to  be  expected.  Although  named  by  the  ambi- 
tious term  city — of  which  term  our  American  brethren  seem  much 
enamoured,  (witness  the  city  of  Cleveland  on  the  banks  of  Lake  Erie, 
Sandusky  city,  &c.) — their  right  to  the  title  is  yet  in  embryo.  To 
entitle  them  to  the  name  of  towns,  much  less  of  cities,  they  want 
these  very  necessary  elements,  houses  and  inhabitants ;  and,  inasmuch 
as  there  are  few,  if  any,  among  them,  so  favourably  situated  as  Cin- 
cinnati, centuries  will  probably  elapse  ere  many  of  them  have  ex- 
panded beyond  what  would  be  denominated  villages  in  the  "  Old 
Country."  In  such  "  cities  to  bo,"  it  were  unreasonable  to  expect 
wcU-paved  streets ;  but  even  in  the  generality  of  the  larger  towns, 
the  paving  is  anything  but  good.  If  I  except  Boston  and  Philadel- 
phia, I  did  not  find  well-paved  well-kept  streets  in  any  of  the  large 
towns  in  the  American  Union.  I  had  thought,  before  leaving  Scot- 
land, that  my  native  city  of  Glasgow — which,  in  the  extraordinary 
rapidity  of  its  progress  in  size,  beauty,  and  wealth,  displays  more  of 
American  growth  than  any  city  in  Europe — enjoyed  a  somewhat  un- 
enviable distinction  in  having  the  carriage-ways  of  many  of  its  streets 
in  great  dis-repair.  But  Glasgow  contrasts  favourably  in  this  respect 
with  any  of  the  large  cities  of  the  American  Union ;  and  had  the 
Cincinnati  Jarvey  who  attempted  to  extort  six  dollars  from  myself 
and  friend,  for  a  two  hours'  drive  to  the  Cincinnati  Observatory,  at- 
tempted to  justify  his  extortion  by  an  appeal  to  the  badness  of  the 
streets  and  deepness  of  the  ruts,  he  might  have  succeeded  in  making 
out  something  of  a  good  special  case. 

Cincinnati  contains  some  good  public  buildings,  such  as  the  Ob- 
servatory, already  casually  noticed,  which  is  built  on  a  hill  called 
Mount  Adams,  that  rises  immediately  above  the  town,  and  which 
contains  a  telescope  of  large  size  and  power  imported  from  the  conti- 
nent of  Europe — the  new  Catholic  Cathedral,  of  which  the  spire  and 
portico  are  really  fine,  although  the  spire  is  perhaps  somewhat  too 
high — the  College — and  some  others.  But  none  of  them  are  of 
such  beauty  or  dimensions  as  to  attract  much  of  the  attention  of  a 
traveller,  who  has  seen  the  architectural  beauties  of  Great  Britain. 
But  there  has  been  very  recently  erected  at  Cincinnati  a  building 
which  deserves  that  honourable  and  prominent  mention  should  be 
made  of  it,  were  it  only  because  it  is  intended  to  be,  and  will  be,  till 
some  vaster  scheme  outrivals  it,  the  largest  hotel  in  that  country, 
where  monster  hotels  are  the  rule,  and  not  the  exception.  When  I 
visited  Cincinnati  in  1849,  there  was  in  course  of  erection  a  hotel, 
which,  I  was  informed,  would  contain  the  almost  incredible  number 
of  above  five  hundred  separate  bedrooms,  besides  eating  and  other 
rooms,  proportionate  to  the  extent  of  the  sleeping  accommodation. 
But  hotel-keeping  in  America  is  on  a  very  large  scale,  and  the  prac- 
tice among  the  merchants  and  traders  of  boarding  at  the  hotels — 


CINCINNATI. 


209 


by  the  ambi- 
k  seem  much 
3f  Lake  Erie, 
jmbryo.  To 
33,  they  want 
nd,  inasmuch 
iiated  as  Cin- 
>em  have  ex- 
in  the  "Old 
ible  to  expect 
larger  towns, 
and  Philadel- 

of  the  large 
leaving  Scot- 
extraordinary 
plays  more  of 
somewhat  un- 
y  of  its  streets 
in  this  respect 
;  and  had  the 

from  myself 
)servatory,  at- 
adness  of  the 
led  in  making 

as  the  Ob- 
a  hill  called 
n,  and  which 
om  the  conti- 
the  spire  and 
lomewhat  too 
them  are  of 
ittention  of  a 
Treat  Britain, 
iti  a  building 
on  should  be 
d  will  be,  till 
that  country, 
on.  When  I 
ition  a  hotel, 
iible  number 
ig  and  other 
iommodation. 
and  the  prac- 
the  hotels — 


ofttimes  with  their  wives  and  families — and  merely  sleeping  in  their 
own  houses,  gives  great  encouragement  to  these  mammoth  estab- 
lishments. But  my  American  friends  must  excuse  my  preferring 
the  more  secluded  English  system.  No  doubt,  the  hotels  in  tho 
United  States  are  generally  not  only  large^  but  handsome,  and  hand- 
somely furnished,  (although  certainly  neither  superior  in  these  re- 
spects to  the  ordinary  hotels  of  England  and  Scotland,  nor  equal  to 
what  may  be  termed  the  first-class  hotels  of  London,  and  some  other 
of  the  principal  towns  of  Britain;)  and,  the  very  reasonable  amount 
of  the  charges  considered,  the  supply  of  viands  is  usually  unexcep- 
tionable in  all  the  particulars  of  quantity,  quality,  and  cooking. 
But,  prejudice  or  no  prejudice,  I  prefer  the  English  system,  where 
men  are  not  so  gregarious  in  their  eating :  and  thus  it  was  that,  on 
my  first  visit  to  New  York,  I  was  attracted  to  the  very  superior 
hotel  called  "  Delmonicos,"  simply  by  the  remark  of  a  friend  that 
the  matters  of  the  table  were  there  conducted  more  after  the  Eng- 
lish fashion — the  cuisine  being  decidedly  and  excellently/  French. 

But  to  return  to  Cincinnati.  There  is  perhaps  nothing  connected 
with  the  present  position  of  the  city,  or  the  present  development  of 
the  energies  of  its  inhabitants,  more  creditable,  or  more  worthy  of 
remark,  than  the  attention  paid  to  the  cause  of  education.  The  sys- 
tem of  national  education  in  the  United  States  of  America  has  much 
in  it  that  calls  for  consideration  from  all  who  have  the  real  well-be- 
ing of  the  great  family  of  man  truly  at  heart ;  and  great  things  may 
be  expected  from  the  effects  it  is  calculated  to  produce  on  the  rising 
generation.  Actuated  by  a  wise  and  an  enlightened  policy,  the 
States  of  the  American  Union  have  recognised  the  necessity  of  com- 
bining mental  improvement  with  material  progress ;  of  making  edu- 
cation keep  pace  with  national  wealth,  and  increase  in  civilisation  at 
home  go  hand  in  hand  with  increase  of  power  abroad:  thus  it  is 
that  there  is  a  larger  proportion  of  the  population  of  the  United 
States  engaged  in  attendance  on  a  course  of  instruction  than  is  to  be 
found  in  any  other  country  on  the  face  of  the  whole  globe.  All 
honour  to  them  that  such  is  the  fact.  This,  however,  is  a  subject 
too  ambitious,  and  too  extensive,  to  be  discussed  at  length  in  a  work 
like  the  present  j  but  having  had  my  attention  prominently  directed, 
while  in  Cincinnati,  to  the  zealous  and  highly  liberal  manner  in 
which  the  system  is  wrought  out  in  that  city,  I  cannot  deny  myself 
the  satisfaction  of  here  introducing  a  few  remarks  upon  it. 

In  the  majority  of  the  instances  in  which  error  is  committed,  in 
reasoning  on  matters  connected  with  the  United  States  of  America, 
the  mistake  arises  from  confounding,  or  at  least  from  not  discrimi- 
nating, between  the  powers  and  constitution  of  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment, and  the  powers  which  the  separate  States  have  severally 
reserved  to  themselves.    No  doubt,  the  constitution  and  laws  of  the 

18* 


210 


CINCINNATI. 


fr^ 


<'■ 


United  States  are  declared  to  be  suprcrae — so  supreme,  that  no  State 
law  is  valid  which  comes  in  competition  with  the  constitution,  or 
with  any  law  of  the  United  States ;  and  it  has  been  well  remarked 
by  that  distinguished  American  statesman,  the  Hon.  Daniel  Webster, 
that  it  is  this  very  principle  which  makes  the  united  laws  of  the 
General  Government  supreme,  that  constitutes  the  American  consti- 
tution. Without  this,  the  Union  would  be  merely  a  confederacy. 
As  a  general  theoretic  constitutional  principle,  then,  it  may  be 
affirmed  of  the  constitution  of  the  American  republic,  that  the  law 
of  no  state  of  the  Union  can  be  valid  where  it  conflicts  and  is  at 
variance  with  any  law  of  the  General  Government ;  and  that,  if  at 
any  time  any  question  of  interference  should  arise,  the  power  of 
decision  between  the  individual  State  and  the  Union  is  placed  in  the 
hands  of  the  Supreme  Court  at  Washington,  which  also  has  power 
to  decide  questions  that  may  arise  between  one  state  and  another. 
It  will  be  at  once  seen  how  important  is  the  existence  both  of  this 
principle  and  of  this  power,  and  also  that  both  are  essentially  neces- 
sary to  the  integrity,  and  indeed  to  the  very  existence,  of  the  Union 
itself.  But  while  the  line  of  demarcation  is  in  some  cases  not  very 
well  defined,  and  in  others  not  much  respected,  there  are,  at  the 
same  time,  matters  and  powers  which  the  individual  states  have 
reserved  to  themselves,  and  with  which  the  General  Government  has 
nothing  to  do.  Of  this  the  education  of  the  people  is  one.  There 
is,  properly  speaking,  no  general  State  education.  Each  state  is  at 
liberty  to  legislate  on  this  subject  as  it  pleases,  and  each  state  has 
legislated  regarding  it ;  and,  to  the  credit  of  our  American  brethren, 
let  it  be  remembered  that  there  is  now  no  country  in  the  world 
where  the  secular  education  of  the  people  is  better  attended  to  than 
it  is  in  the  United  States.  I  say  secular,  not  because  I  can,  of  my 
own  knowledge,  say  that  the  religious  education  of  the  people  is 
neglected,  but  because  that  is  left  to  each  religious  denomination  it- 
self. In  America,  where  there  is  no  State  church,  all  that  the  state 
governments  do,  in  connexion  with  the  public  education  of  the  people, 
is  to  provide  schools,  in  which  the  children  receive  a  secular  educa- 
tion at  the  public  expense,  a  portion  of  the  local  taxes  being  appro- 
priated for  that  purpose.  Every  state  in  the  Union  has  some 
provision  of  that  nature,  although,  as  has  been  already  mentioned, 
no  one  state  has  the  power  of  controlling  another,  through  the 
medium  of  the  General  Government  or  otherwise,  in  relation  to  this 
matter.  In  every  state  of  the  Union  there  is  an  ample  provision  for 
thie  support  of  schools  for  the  education  of  white  children  j  and, 
while  I  of  course  cannot  vouch  for  the  truth  of  the  statement  of 
myself,  I  had  it  from  several  influential  gentlemen  of  Louisiana,  that 
in  that,  as  well  as  in  some  other  slave  states,  provision  would  have 
been  made  for  the  education  of  the  children  of  the  slaveS;  had  not 


CINCINNATI. 


211 


that  no  Stato 
nstitution,  or 
rell  remarked 
oiel  Webster, 

laws  of  the 
erican  consti- 
,  confederacy. 
I,  it  may  be 
that  the  law 
icts  and  is  at 
id  that,  if  at 
the  power  of 
placed  in  the 
so  has  power 
and  another. 
I  both  of  this 
intially  neces- 
of  the  Union 
jascs  not  very 
re  are,  at  the 
d  states  have 
ivemment  has 
}  one.  There 
ich  state  is  at 
;ach  state  has 
lean  brethren, 

in  the  world 
ended  to  than 
I  can,  of  my 
the  people  is 
lomination  it- 
that  the  state 
of  the  people, 
secular  educa- 
}  being  appro- 
ion  has  some 
ly  mentioned, 
,  through  the 
elation  to  this 
I  provision  for 
lildren;  and, 

statement  of 
iouisiana,  that 
Q  would  have 

aveS;  bad  not 


so  violent  a  spirit  of  opposition  been  excited,  of  late  years,  in  tho 
south,  by  tho  proceedings  of  the  abolitionists  of  the  north.  It  may 
seem  a  strange  thing  to  say  that  the  movements  of  northern  states 
to  abolish  slavery  should  have  operated  as  a  preventive  to  the  southern 
ones  educating,  in  some  degree,  their  black  population ;  but  it  is  easy 
for  one  who  ban  personally  witnessed  the  keenness  of  feeling  that 
has  been  excited  on  this  question  of  abolition,  to  see  that  such  is 
likely  to  be  the  case.  To  judge  from  the  language  of  some  parties 
in  the  New  England  states,  one  would  suppose  that  they  considered 
all  arguments  and  stratagems  fair,  provided  only  they  tended  to 
further  the  '^  abolition  ticket.'^  Fas  aut  nefas  seems  the  motto.  In 
May  or  June,  1840,  an  instance  occurred  of  the  seizure  of  a  box, 
despatched  per  rail  from  one  of  the  slave  states,  (Kentucky,)  directed 
to  Philadelphia,  which,  when  opened,  was  found  to  contain  two  live 
slaves,  whom  it  was  thus  intended  to  remove  from  slavery  to  free- 
dom ;  while  the  extreme  among  the  anti-abolition  parties  of  the  south 
are  as  unscrupulous,  and  fully  more  extravagant,  in  their  doings  or 
language.  To  judge  from  the  language  of  some  of  them,  no  punish- 
ment is  too  bad  for  the  conduct  of  their  opponents ;  and  to  form  an 
opinion  from  the  remarks  of  nearly  all  of  them,  whether  in  public  or 
in  private,  it  would  seem  as  if  they  would  rather  dismember  the 
Federal  Union  than  give  way  to  the  abolition  movement — at  least 
for  some  time  to  come.  Even  in  Congress,  such  language  is  occa- 
sionally used,  and  the  scenes  to  which  its  introduction  leads  are 
occasionally  very  strange  ones  for  a  legislative  assembly.  The  follow- 
ing, taken  from  a  report  of  proceedings  in  the  United  States*  House 
of  Representatives,  on  13th  December,  1849,  will  suffice  for  a  speci- 
men. The  scene  occurred  on  the  discussion  of  a  resolution  of  Mr. 
Brown,  of  Mississippi,  that  the  Hon.  H.  Cobb  should  be  elected  to 
the  highly  important  office  of  speaker : — 

Mr.  D r  said  that  the  resolution  of  Mr.  Brown,  in  effect, 

called  upon  the  Whigs  to  make  an  unconditional  surrender.  He 
would  vote  for  anybody  but  a  disumomst  to  occupy  the  chair. 

A  VOICE. — There  is  no  such  person  in  the  house. 

Mr.  D R. — I  think  so. 

Voices. — Where  is  he? 

Mr.  D R  pointed  to  Mr.  M . 

Mr.  M DE. — If  the  gentleman  charges  me  with  being  a  dis- 

unionist,  it  is  false  ? 

Mr.  J) R. — You  are  a  liar. 

Immediately  Mr.  M de  left  his  seat  on  the  opposite  side  of 

the  house,  and  rushed  towards  Mr.  D r.     The  parties  were  not 

more  than  four  feet  apart,  when  members  rushed  between.  There 
were  cries  of  "  Fight  \"  The  sergeant-at-arms  hurried  down,  with 
the  mace  of  office  in  his  hand.  There  were  loud  cries  of  "  Order." 


212 


CINCINNATI. 


Lobby  members  mounted  the  side  scenes.     Mr.  M- 
oned  Mr.  D r  to  follow  him  to  the  Kotunda. 


-do  beck- 


There 


were 

motions  of  adjournment,  midst  a  scene  of  the  greatest  possible 
Uirforder. 

But  such  scenes  are  very  rare,  and  when  they  do  occur,  the 
words  used  cannot  be  regarded  otherwise  than  as  the  dictations  of 
temper  and  of  haste.  But  the  feelings  which  they  display  have 
been  evinced  even  in  the  Upper  House  of  the  American  Legisla- 
ture ;  and  that  they  were  there  enunciated  and  argued  on  with 
greuH  decorum,  dignity,  and  ability,  only  proves  that  they  are 
deeper  seated  than  some  parties  in  America  or  in  England  are  will- 
ing to  admit  Of  this  any  one  may  satisfy  himself,  by  perusing 
the  :  abiic'hed  speeches  of  Messrs.  Hayne  and  Webster,  delivered 
in  the  United  States*  Senate  in  January,  1830.  There  the  osten- 
sible subject  of  discussion  was  what  is  known  in  America  as  the 
'*  nullification"  question,  or  the  right  of  an  individual  state  to 
declare  a  law  of  tho  General  Government  null  and  of  no  eiFect 
within  that  state's  own  particular  limits  or  territory — a  doctrine 
which  Mr.  Webster  justly  characterized  as  one  which  would  reduce 
the  Constitution  to  a  mcxe  confederacy.  But  although  that  was 
the  ostensible  subject,  the  whole  tenor  of  the  argument  goes  to 
prove  the  extreme  dissonance  that  exists  between  the  north  and 
the  south  on  the  question  of  slavery.  That  this  dissonance  ever 
will  lead  to  a  dismemberment  of  ^he  American  Union,  however,  I 
am  far  from  thinking.  If  there  be  one  thing  of  a  national  cha- 
racter which  an  American  values  more  than  another,  it  is  that  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Union.  It  is  not  that  he  is  a  citizen  of  New 
York  or  of  Massachusetts,  of  Carolina  or  of  Alabama,  of  Ken- 
tucky or  of  Ohio,  but  it  is  that,  being  such,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Great  American  Union  or  Eepublic  j  and,  without  going  the  length 
of  saying  that  a  separation  of  the  north  from  the  south  could  not 
be  made  without  in  any  way  interfering  with  the  peaceful  relations 
between  the  two,  I  certainly  would,  were  I  an  American,  regard  a 
dismemberment  of  the  Union  as  the  greatest  misfortune  that  could 
befall  my  great  and  rising  country.  But  of  such  an  event  I  have 
little  fear.  The  northern  and  southern  states  of  the  American 
Republic  stuck  together  even  at  a  time  when  the  latter  had  the 
greatest  and  most  obvious  of  all  possible  interests  to  secede  from 
the  cause  of  the  former ;  and  it  were  well  that  the  northern  party 
should  now  remember  this  fact,  when  urging  their  southern  brethren 
on  this  tender  subject  of  slave  emancipation. 

This,  however,  is  a  digressio.i.  To  return  to  the  question  of 
state  education.  In  each  of  the  states  there  is  a  provision  for  the 
secular  education  of  the  children  of  freemen,  at  the  expense  of  the 
Btate  itself.  In  some  states  the  allowance  is  greater  than  in  others, 


CLNCINNATI. 


213 


— do  beck- 
There  were 
;est  possible 

0  occur,  the 
dictations  of 
iisplay  have 
Ban  Legisla- 
iied  on  with 
at  they  are 
and  are  will- 
by  perusing 
3r,  delivered 
•e  the  osten- 
erica  as  the 
ual  state  to 
of  no  effect 
—a  doctrine 
rould  reduce 
gh  that  was 
lent  goes  to 
=1  north  and 
ionance  ever 
I,  howover,  I 
aticucil  cha- 
is  that  he 
izen  of  New 
ma,  of  Ken- 
3mber  of  the 
g  the  length 
could  not 
ful  relations 
an,  regard  a 
e  that  could 
vent  I  have 
)  American 
ter  had  the 
secede  from 
rthern  party 
3rn  brethren 

question  of 
sion  for  the 
pense  of  the 
n  in  others^ 


even  taken  in  proportion  to  the  population.  The  state  of  Connec- 
ticut has  the  honour  of  standing  at  the  head  of  that  list  that  would 
enumerate  the  states  of  the  American  Union  according  to  their 
respective  public  provisions  for  the  education  of  the  people.  With 
a  population  not  exceeding  400,000,  the  sum  annually  devoted  by 
the  state  to  the  support  of  the  public  schools  is  about  £26,000 
sterling ;  and  it  is  a  fact  worthy  of  record,  were  it  only  as  a  some- 
what singular  coincidence,  that  while  Connecticut  is  thus  distin- 
guished above  all  the  other  states  of  the  American  Union  for  the 
large  amount  of  its  public  school  fund  in  proportion  to  the  ]  copula- 
tion, it  is  also  the  only  one  in  the  republic  in  which  theatrical 
representations  are  prohibited  by  law.  Diflerent  parties  will  inter- 
pret these  facts,  and  connect  or  separate  them,  according  to  their 
prepossessions  for  or  against  the  theatre,  and  its  uses  or  abuses. 
But  the  circumstance,  that  these  two  things  should  co-exist  in  the 
same  state,  is  one  which  is  worthy  of  being  made  prominent  men- 
tion of.  In  1849,  an  attempt  was  made  in  the  local  legislature  of 
Connecticut  to  repeal  the  law  prohibiting  theatrical  performances 
within  its  own  territorial  limits ;  but  the  bill  introduced  for  this 
purpose  met  with  the  most  determined  opposition — an  opposition 
based  not  so  much  on  objections  to  such  amusements  themselves, 
as  on  objections  to  that  class  of  persons  by  whom  they  are  usually 
supported,  and  whose  increase  in  the  state  might  be  reasonably 
expected  to  follow  an  alteration  in  the  law.  The  opposition  pre- 
vailed, and  the  bill  was  almost  unanimously  rejected.  But  to 
return  to  the  state  provisions  in  the  United  States  of  America;  for 
the  education  of  the  people. 

Maine,  with  a  population  of  about  600,000  inhabitants,  has  per- 
manent school  funds  yielding  an  income  of  about  60,000  dollars, 
or  above  £12,000  sterling.  Massachusetts,  with  a  population  con- 
siderably under  a  million,  has  public  schools  in  which  fully  80,000 
children  are  annually  educated  at  the  public  expense ;  and  the  state 
of  New  York,  with  a  population  approaching  closely  to  3,000,000, 
(in  1845  it  was  2,604,495,)  has  a  common  school  fund,  the  aggre- 
gate capital  of  which  amounts  to  about  half  a  million  atcrling ; 
while,  from  the  general  statistics  of  education  in  the  state,  it 
appears  that,  of  the  whole  population,  about  four  out  of  every 
thirteen  were  under  in..truction  during  some  part  of  the  year,  in 
the  elementary  and  more  advanced  branches  of  English  education, 
and  in  the  claosical  departments  of  the  academies. 

Similar  details  might  be  given  in  reference  to  others  of  the  states 
in  the  Union,  ail  going  tc  show  that  the  education  of  the  people 
has  occupied,  and  continues'  to  occupy,  that  attention  in  America, 
to  which  it  is  so  well  entitled.  But  it  is  not  my  intention  either 
to  compare  the  provisions  in  the  diflfercnt  states,  or  to  enter  into 


214 


CINCINNATI. 


details  with  reference  to  any  of  them.  My  limits  preclude,  for 
the  present,  the  possibility  of  my  doing  so.  The  object  now  is  to 
illustrate,  by  the  mention  of  a  few  indisputable  facts,  the  general 
truth  of  the  remark,  that  the  state  governments  of  the  American 
Union  have  shown  themselves  most  wisely  provident,  and  alive  to 
the  best  interests  of  their  great  republic,  in  the  ample  provisions 
they  have  made  for  placing  a  sound  elementary  education  within 
the  reach  of  every  free  inhabitant  they  contain.  The  words 
"wisely  provident"  are  here  used  advisedly,  for,  if  there  be  a 
country  in  the  world  in  which  national  provisions  for  education  are 
more  necessary,  or  more  likely  to  be  productive  of  beneficial  re- 
sults, than  another,  it  is  in  the  American  Union.  The  Constitu- 
tion of  the  American  confederation  appeals  to  the  understanding. 
It  is  in  the  conviction  of  the  thinking  and  intelligent  mass,  that 
it  is  the  constitution  best  adapted  for  the  country,  and  for  the 
promotion  of  the  general  good,  that  its  stability  and  permanence 
depend.  And  beside  this,  the  American  Union  is  yearly  receiving 
into  its  bosom  vast  masses  from  the  old  countries  of  Europe,  more 
particularly  from  England,  Scotland,  and  Ireland.  Many  of  these 
emigrants,  no  doubt,  add  to  the  intelligence,  as  they  do  to  the 
population  and  wealth  of  the  far  off  land  of  their  adoption ;  but 
it  is  also  true,  and  lamentably  so,  that  many  of  them  carry  to 
America  little  save  their  poverty  and  their  ignorance.  If  qmi- 
grants  of  this  class  are  to  add  much  to  the  real  strength  and  pros- 
perity of  the  nation,  they,  or  at  least  their  children,  must  be 
educated.  To  use  the  words  of  an  esteemed  professional  friend  in 
Cincinnati,  (himself  one  of  the  truest  and  best  friends  of  educa- 
tion to  be  found  in  any  land,)  whose  letter  on  the  subject  is  before 
me,  this  class  of  emigrants  require  not  only  to  be  Americanized, 
but  to  be  in  a  great  measure  enlightened,  civilized,  and  educated, 
ere  they  can  be  of  much  real  benefit  in  assisting  towards  the  on- 
w:.rd  progress  of  the  land  to  which  they  have  emigrated. 

While  the  general  attention  paid  to  the  education  of  the  people 
has  thus  been  creditably  great  in  almost  the  whole  of  the  states, 
the  state  of  Ohio,  notwithstanding  its  comparitavcly  recent  occu- 
pation and  rapid  growth,  has  not  been  behind  in  the  race,  as  the 
following  few  statistics,  with  reference  to  the  common  schools  of 
the  town  of  Cincinnati,  will  sufiiciently  prove. 

In  reference  to  the  educational  system  pursued  in  its  common 
schools,  Cincinnati  is  divided  into  twelve  districts.  In  each  of 
these  districts  there  is  a  school-house,  having  a  male  and  also  a 
female  department,  with  a  principal  and  assistant  teachers  presid- 
ing over  each.  The  principal  teachers  over  the  male  department 
have  fifty  dollars  a  month  of  salary,  the  assistants  somewhat  less. 
Tho  principal  teachers  of  the  female  departments  have  twenty- 


preclude,  for 
ect  now  is  to 
,  the  general 
he  American 
and  alive  to 
le  provisions 
cation  within 

The  words 
f  there  be  a 
sducation  are 
beneficial  re- 
Che  Constitu- 
iderstanding. 
it  mass,  that 
,  and  for  the 
[  permanence 
irly  receiving 
Europe,  more 
lany  of  these 
ey  do  to  the 
doptionj  but 
tiem  carry  to 
ice.  If  qmi- 
gth  and  pros- 
must  be 
onal  friend  in 
ids  of  educa- 

ect  is  before 
Lmericanized, 
md  educated, 
^ards  the  on- 
ited. 

Df  the  people 
of  the  stutcs, 

recent  occu- 

race,  as  the 
on  schools  of 

its  common 
In  each  of 
and  also  a 
chcrs  presid- 
dcpartmcnt 
me  what  less. 
Iiavc  twcnty- 


e 


CINCINNATI. 


215 


eight  dollars  a  month,  the  assistants  from  sixteen  to  twenty  dol- 
lars. In  some  of  these  district  schools  German  is  taught  in  con- 
nection with  English  ;  and  as  a  large  proportion  of  the  population 
of  Cincinnati  is  German,  (a  fact  evinced  by  the  numerous  Ger- 
sign-boards  and  inscriptions  you  see  as  yon  go  along  the  streets  in 
certain  parts  of  the  town,)  these  schools  are  certainly  a  peculiarly 
interesting  feature  in  the  Cincinnati  school  system,  and  strongly 
illustrate  the  liberal  and  enlightened  spirit  under  which  they  are 
conducted. 

Bf^sides  the  twelve  district  schools,  there  is  a  central  school, 
established  in  November  1848,  for  the  farther  education  of  such 
children  above  ten  years  of  age  as  are  found  on  examination  to 
have  a  "  competent  knowledge  of  reading,  writing,  spelling,  Eng- 
lish grammar,  modern  geography,  mental  and  practical  arithmetic, 
history  of  the  United  States,  mental  algebra  or  written  algebra, 
to  equations  of  the  second  degree." 

In  the  common  schools  the  usual  branches  of  an  elementary 
education  are  taught,  while  in  the  central  school  the  education  is 
of  a  more  advanced  character,  and  includes  Latin  and  Greek.  As 
an  adjunct  to  the  whole,  there  is  an  orphan  asylum  school. 

The  total  number  of  pupils  who  attended  the  district  schools  of 
Cincinnati  between  October  1847  and  October  1848  was  27,316, 
being  an  increase  of  above  five  thousand  on  the  year  previous. 

The  above  details,  which  are  mainly  taken  from  the  nineteenth 
annual  report  of  the  trustees  and  visitors  of  the  common  schools 
of  the  city  council  of  Cincinnati  for  the  year  ending  June  SO, 
1848,  prepaicd  under  the  authority  of  the  board,  by  my  able  and 
excellent  friend  Bellamy  Storer,  Esq.,  (some  time  corresponding 
secretary,  and  last  year  the  president  of  the  board  of  trustees  and 
visitors,)  will  sufliciently  show  that  the  general  commendation  of 
the  school  system  of  Cincinnati,  with  which  I  set  out,  was  not 
without  ample  and  sufficient  foundation. 

That  the  efforts  thus  making,  throughout  nearly  the  whole  of 
the  American  Union,  to  increase  the  knowledge  of  the  general 
body  of  the  people,  may  continue  tv  prove  eminently  successful, 
must  be  the  anxious  and  ardent  prayer  of  every  well-wisher  of  +ho 
great  family  of  man. 

One  of  the  greatest  businesses  carried  on  in  Cincinnati  is  the 
killing,  curing,  and  packing  of  hogs.  More  than  400,000  hogs 
were  packed  in  Cincinnati  up  to  January  1848,  for  the  season 
1847-8 ;  and  for  about  two  months  of  each  year,  the  herds  of 
these  aaimals  driven  along  certain  of  the  streets  leading  from  the 
river  are  almost  continuous.  Indeed,  the  statistics  of  the  pork 
trade  of  the  Western  States,  Ohio,  Kentucky,  and  Indiana,  are  so 
extraordinary  as  to  be  scarcely  credible  to  those  who  have  not  seen 


210 


CINCINNATI. 


the  evidence  of  its  extent.  In  1847,  the  number  of  hogs  brought 
to  market  from  these  three  states  was  fully  seven  millions.  But 
the  fact  is,  that  the  states  above  mentioned  are  peculiarly  adapted 
for  the  culture  of  Indian  corn,  (called  in  America  "  corn  "  par  ex- 
cellence;) and  this  food  supplies  not  only  the  cheapest,  but  the 
best  means  for  fattening  these  useful  animals. 

Of  the  price  paid  for  hogs  in  Cincinnati  and  its  neighbourhood,  I 
have  no  note  taken  when  on  the  spot.  But  the  price  cannot,  for 
very  obvious  reasons,  be  materially  different  from  what  it  is  in  the 
immediately  adjoining  state  of  Kentucky;  and  in  or  about  Louisville, 
the  largest  city  of  that  state,  and  itself  a  great  market  for  the  killing 
or  curing  of  hogs,  the  prices  varies  from  one  dollar  and  a  half  (about 
6s.  6d.)  to  two  dollars  and  a  half,  (10s.  6d.,)  according  to  the  weight 
— animals  weighing  1751b.  bringing  the  smaller  sum,  and  those 
weighing  above  2501b.  the  larger. 

The  circumstances  thus  alluded  to  have  led  to  the  settlement  at 
Cincinnati,  and  also  in  the  town  of  Louisville,  of  sundry  emigrants 
from  the  Emerald  Isle,  who,  in  these  towns  and  their  neighbour- 
hoods, exercise  the  trade  and  calling  with  which  they  were  most 
familiar  in  "  their  own  green  isle."  But  it  is  not  only  Paddy  who 
indulges  in  the  hog-curing  calling  in  these  parts ;  a  large  proportion 
of  the  German  settlers  are  engaged  in  the  same  trade ;  and  it  must 
have  been  in  this  portion  of  the  Union  that  the  following  case  oc- 
curred. A  German  settler  lost  several  valuable  hogs,  and,  finding 
some  animals  exactly  answering  their  general  description  in  the  pos- 
session of  an  American  or  English  neighbour,  he  claimed  them  as 
his  lost  favourites,  and  went  to  law  in  vindication  of  his  right  to 
them,  on  his  claim  being  disallowed.  The  proofs  on  both  sides  were 
balanced  and  conflicting,  and  the  lawyers  were  at  tLeir  wits'  end, 
when  it  occurred  to  the  advocate  of  the  German  claimant  to  demand 
the  recall  of  his  client's  son,  who  had  been  one  of  the  witnesses.  On 
his  recall,  the  counsel  asked  him  if  he  was  in  the  habit  of  calling  his 
pokers,  and  how  he  called  them.  The  answer  was  afl&rmative,  and 
that  he  called  them  in  German,  and  they  answered  to  his  call. 
Thereon  the  judge  and  jury  adjourned  to  the  defendant's  hog-yard ; 
and  on  the  German  vociferating  his  war-cry,  thepig3  he  had  claimed, 
and  only  those  out  of  a  very  large  flock,  responded  to  his  call.  It  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  this  piece  of  real  evidence  decided  the 
question  at  issue.  It  is  said  of  a  certain  great  king  that  he  charac- 
terised German  as  the  language  most  adapted  to  horses,  but  this  pro- 
bably was  the  first  instance  of  its  over  being  supposed  to  be  best 
suited  to  the  capacity  of  pigs. 

The  extensive  trade  in  the  rearing  and  killing  of  pigs,  is  generally 
supposed  to  be  somewhat  adverse  to  a  spirit  of  cleanliness,  and  per- 
haps it  may  be  partly  owing  to  this  that  Cincinnati  suffered  so  greatly 


RAIL  TO  SANDUSKY. 


217 


logs  brought 
illions.  But 
iarly  adapted 


)} 


orn     par  ex- 
pest,  but  the 

;hbourhood,  I 
56  cannot,  for 
b  it  is  in  the 
>ut  Louisville, 
'or  the  killing 
a  half  (about 
to  the  weight 
n,  and  those 

settlement  at 
dry  emigrants 
eir  neighbour- 
ley  were  most 
ily  Paddy  who 
rge  proportion 
I )  and  it  must 
)wing  case  oc- 
s,  and,  finding 
on  in  the  pos- 
dmed  them  as 

his  right  to 
oth  sides  were 

eir  wits'  end, 
int  to  demand 

itnesses.     On 

of  calling  his 

firmative,  and 
to  his  call. 

t's  hog-yard; 
had  claimed, 

lis  call.     It  is 
decided  the 

lat  ho  charac- 
but  this  pro- 

icd  to  bo  best 

3,  is  generally 
ncss,  and  pcr- 
rcd  so  greatly 


from  cholera  about  the  time  of  the  visit  in  question  in  1849.  The 
epidemic  had  begun  to  be  felt,  but  had  not  reached  its  height  when 
I  was  in  the  city ;  but  there  is  now  before  me  a  letter,  dated  80th 
July  1849,  written  to  me  by  an  influential  professional  gentleman  in 
Cincinnati — one  who  interests  himself  constantly  and  warmly  in 
everything  that  conduces  to  the  well-being  of  his  fellows,  in  which 
he  says — "  Since  you  left  us,  our  city  has  been  terribly  scourged  j 
we  have  lost  nearly  five  thousand  of  our  people  by  the  pestilence  that 
has  everywhere  prevailed."  He  adds,  that  the  ravages  of  cholera 
were  even  then  prevalent,  although  "  present  indications  are  decidedly 
favourable  to  the  rapid  decline;"  while  I  find  it  stated  in  a  Cincin- 
nati newspaper  of  a  subsequent  date,  that  above  6000  had  perished, 
and  that  there  were  fully  2500  houses  in  the  city  then  unoccupied 
and  to  let.  It  appears  that  the  greatest  mortality  was  for  the  thirty- 
one  days  ending  16th  July  1849,  and  that  the  daily  average  of 
deaths  during  that  time  was  one  hundred  and  seventeen.  The  largest 
proportion  of  deaths  was  among  the  foreign  population,  the  compara- 
tive numbers  being,  of  emigrants  70.1 — Americans,  22.6 — the  dif- 
ference being  no  doubt  caused  mainly  by  the  fact  of  the  new-comers 
being  as  yet  unaccustomed  to  the  climate,  and  ignorant  what  food  to 
take  and  what  to  avoid. 

Leaving  Cincinnati  at  the  somewhat  inconvenient  hour  of  five 
o'clock  in  the  morning,  a  ride  of  about  sixteen  hours  in  railway  cars 
brings  you  to  the  city  of  Sandusky,  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Erie.  The 
distance  travelled  is  only  217  miles;  and  if  the  time  occupied  in  the 
transit  would  seem  to  indicate  an  unusually  slow  speed  for  railway 
travelling,  it  must  be  remembered  that  this  line  (for  it  is  literally 
one  line)  of  rails,  runs  through  a  comparatively  unpeopled  country  : 
and  although  one  of  its  termini  is  at  the  populous  improving  town  of 
Cincinnati,  the  other  is  at  Sandusky,  which,  although  specially  re- 
joicing in  the  ambitious  title  of  Sandusky  city,  is  nevertheless  only  a 
a  sparsedly  built  village,  containing  a  population  which  does  not  ex- 
ceed 2500  inhabitants.  In  making  this  journey  I  heard  sundry 
sneers,  on  the  part  not  merely  of  Old  but  of  New  Englanders,  on  the 
subject  of  Western  railways,  particularly  when  the  career  of  the  train 
was  stopped,  and  the  steam-whistle  was  loudly  sounded,  until  intru- 
sive cattle  or  hogs  were  frightened  off  the  line.  I  could  not,  how- 
ever, sympathise  to  any  extent  in  the  severity  of  my  English  or 
Yankee  friends  on  the  subject  of  ^Vcstern  railways.  Surely  it  is 
better  to  have  one  line  of  railway,  and  cars  travelling  on  it  at  the 
rate  of  fifteen  miles  an  hour,  than  no  line  of  railway  at  all ;  and  if 
the  profits  of  working  the  railway  from  Cincinnati  to  Sandusky  only 
suffice,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  to  the  accumulation  of  wealth 
sufficient  to  lay  down  a  railway  of  more  English-like  capabilities  and 


218 


SANDUSKY  CITY. 


pretensions,  the  parties  who  own  the  present  works  will  be  entitled 
to  have  the  laugh  quite  the  other  way. 

An  American  railway  car  has  been  too  frequently  described,  to 
render  description  on  my  part  either  necessary  or  likely  to  be  inter- 
esting. The  main  feature  is  the  absence  of  diiFerent  classes  of  car- 
riages, it  being  seemingly  assumed  by  the  directors,  that  in  a  coun- 
try of  republican  equality,  every  one  must  be  ready  to  adopt  the 
game  mode,  and  be  content  with  the  same  accommodation,  when 
travelling.  For  myself,  I  do  not  complain  much  of  the  arrangement, 
although  it  appeared  to  me  then,  as  it  docs  now,  that  it  was  nothing 
short  of  downright  tyranny.  Because  A  cannot,  or  will  not,  pay 
two  dollars  for  his  seat  in  a  car,  why  should  B  be  compelled  (for  it 
amounts  to  compulsion  when  there  is  no  other  mode  of  transit,  or 
none  equally  good,)  to  be  content  with  the  comforts  and  accommo- 
dation that  can  be  purchased  for  one  dollar  ?  This,  however,  is  but 
one  of  the  many  developments  of  that  tyranny  of  the  many,  which 
unquestionably  prevails  to  a  very  large  extent  in  the  United  States 
of  America.  For  the  present  the  government  is  in  the  hands  of  the 
Whigs,  and  I  should  think  that  every  true  friend  of  the  land  of 
stars  and  stripes  would  wish  that  it  were  long  to  continue  so.  The 
grand  policy  of  that  government  is  decidedly,  and  almost  necessarily, 
conservativ^e;  accordingly,  in  private,  some  of  the  most  intelligent 
men  belonging  to  the  Whig  party,  hesitate  not  to  acknowledge  that 
the  real  danger  which  the  federal  constitution  has  to  dread,  arises 
from  the  too  rapid  growth  of  the  democratic  principle — from  the 
tendency  everywhere  observable  of  referring  all  power  to  the  mass 
of  the  people — of  taking  every  opportunity  of  appealing  to  "  the 
people,''  and  flattering  their  prejudices  by  making  them  the  source 
of  all  power.  For  an  illustration  of  the  operation  of  this  democra- 
tic tendency,  I  was  indebted  to  an  intelligent  military  officer  of  tlio 
United  States — a  gentleman  who  had  held  the  rank  of  general  in 
the  Mexican  army,  up  to  the  time  the  United  States  declared  war 
against  that  feeble  sister  republic,  and  who  now  holds  a  high  place 
in  one  of  the  military  colleges  in  the  United  States.  He  mentioned 
that,  in  one  of  the  Western  States — Louisiana,  I  think — much  ex- 
citement prevailed  at  the  time,  in  consequence  of  its  having  been 
mooted,  as  a  weapon  of  popularity,  to  have  the  local  judges  annually 
elected,  and  by  the  voice  of  the  general  body  of  citizens.  The  ques- 
tion had  been  debated  in  the  local  legislature,  and  the  resolution 
there  come  to  was  to  leave  the  question  of  a  change  to  bo  determined 
by  the  majority  of  the  electors  themselves.  Once  mooted,  tlio 
representatives  of  the  people  would  not  face  the  odium  and  unpopu- 
larity of  deciding  it  in  such  a  way  as  excluded  the  people  from 
power.     Could  anything  more  strongly  show  the  tyranny  of  the  vox 


as 


11  be  entitled 

described,  to 
jT  to  be  inter- 
lasses  of  car- 
at in  a  coun- 
to  adopt  the 
iation,  when 
arrangement, 
was  nothing 
will  not,  pay 
pelled  (for  it 
3f  transit,  or 
ad  accomrao- 
wever,  is  but 
many,  which 
Jnited  States 
1  hands  of  the 
f  the  land  of 
nue  so.     The 
3t  necessarily, 
>st  intelligent 
lowledge  that 
dread,  arises 
le — from  the 
to  the  mass 
ding  to  "  the 
n  the  source 
this  deraocra- 
officcr  of  the 
of  general  in 
declared  war 
a  high  place 
le  mentioned 
k — much  ex- 
having  been 
igcs  annually 
The  qucs- 
ho  resolution 
)c  doterminod 
mooted,  the 
and  unpopu- 
people  from 
ny  of  the  vox 


AMERICAN  DEMOCRACY. 


219 


populi,  when  all  consideratious  are  made  to  give  way  to  it?  If  there 
be  one  question  in  government  better  settled  than  another  by  the 
wisdom  of  ages,  it  is  that  the  judges  who  are  to  administer  the  laws, 
who  are  to  hold  the  balance  of  justice,  should  be  elected  for  life, 
without  consideration  of  party  or  of  party  politics,  and  made  as 
independent  as  possible  of  all  considerations  of  a  political  character. 
But  the  above  is  only  one  of  many  illustrations  of  the  manner  in 
which  the  really  judicious  statesmen  in  America  seem  trammelled 
and  gagged  by  considerations  of  policy  and  popularity.  Again  and 
again,  and  in  every  quarter,  was  I  struck  with  the  different  tone  of 
sentiment  which  pervaded  the  remarks  of  my  intelligent  Whig 
friends  in  private,  as  compared  with  what  they  said  in  public.  It 
would  seem  that,  in  private,  they  universally  spoke  their  own 
thoughts,  while  in  public  the  one  ruling  consideration  was  what  might 
or  would  be  thought  by  the  mass  of  the  people.  This  is  surely  to  be 
deeply  regretted  as  fraught  with  evil  tendencies,  particularly  in  a 
country  which  is  annually  receiving  into  its  bosom  vast  numbers  of 
European  emigrants,  most  if  not  all  of  whom  are  drawn  from  the 
most  democratic  portions  of  European  society.  It  were  well,  I  think, 
that  the  wise  and  good  of  the  United  States  were  to  reflect  more  on 
this  important  fact, — viz.  that  the  elements  of  society,  drawn  by  them 
annually  from  the  old  countries,  have  many  of  them  a  strong  leaning 
in  favour  of  levelling  principles,  even  before  they  set  their  feet  on 
the  shores  of  the  great  republic.  It  may  be — it  is — no  doubt  true, 
as  stated  in  the  annual  report  of  the  Cincinnati  schools  for  1848,  now 
before  me,  that  America  must,  "  for  many  years  to  come,  be  the  home 
of  thousands  who  will  have  left  Europe  to  escape  oppression."  But 
it  is  also  true,  that  the  thousands  whom  such  causes  have  moved  to 
emigrate  to  America  are  outnumbered  by  the  advocates  for  license, 
the  pretended  victims  of  an  imaginary  oppression.  Judging  from  the 
foolish  paragraphs  relative  to  European  affairs,  which  so  often  deform 
the  pages  of  the  newspaper  press  in  the  United  States,  there  seems 
to  be  a  great  appetite  for  the  intelligence  regarding  the  "  tyrannical 
governments  of  Europe."  No  absurdity,  on  this  subject,  seems  too 
gross  or  too  extravagant  for  the  popular  taste.  The  rhapsodies  of 
some  of  the  American  newspapers  on  the  subject  of  the  late  outbreak 
in  Ireland,  exceeded  in  violence  and  absurdity  of  falsehood  even  the 
most  lying  effusions  of  The  Nation.  The  ravings  of  such  men  as 
Smith  O'Brien,  Mitchell,  Meagher,  et  hoc  genus  omne,  were  lauded 
as  the  height  of  political  wisdom,  and  the  utterers  themselves  held 
forth  to  the  public  as  patriots  and  martyrs,  instead  of  being  simply 
and  truly  characterized  as  charlatans,  impostors,  or  political  empirics. 
This  may  be  all  very  well  as  regards  the  sale  of  a  newspaper,  and  the 
mass  of  the  United  States'  public  may  be  forgiven  many  widely  erro- 
neous notions  regarding  England  and  Euglishmen,  and  English  free- 


220 


CLEVELAND. 


doni,  when  they  have  to  gather  their  opinions  from  such  impuro 
sources,  or  from  the  equally  inaccurato  statements  of  the  renegade 
sons  of  Great  Britain  whc  take  refuge  on  thair  shores.  But  the  wiso 
and  dispassionate  of  the  republic  will  do  well  to  remember,  that  while 
they  are  a  republic — and  while  a  large  element  in  a  republican  form 
of  government  is  the  democratic  principle — there  are  foreign  ingre- 
dients annually  mixed  with  the  native  mass,  which  have  all  a  ten- 
dency to  strengthen  the  principle  referred  to.  Washington — the 
truly  great  Washington — although  a  republican,  was  very  far  from 
being  a  democrat;  no  one  saw  more  clearly,  or  inculcated  more 
strongly  than  he  did,  the  necessity  of  discipline  and  subordination,  to 
insure  the  continued  prosperity  of  that  Union  which  he  was  so  in- 
strumental in  forming. 

Mais  revenons  a  nos  moutons — to  return  to  Sandusky  City,  which 
affords  a  fair  specimen  of  the  village  cities  of  the  United  States  of 
America.  Standing  on  a  bay  which  opens  into  Lake  Erie — and 
communicating  with  New  York,  on  the  one  hand,  by  means  of  the 
lakes,  canals,  and  railways,  and  with  New  Orleans  on  the  other, 
by  means  of  the  Cincinnati  railway,  the  Ohio,  and  the  Mississippi, 
Sandusky  seems  destined,  at  ono  period  or  another,  to  assume  the 
magnitude  which  is  presupposed  in  the  term  "  city  f  but  for  the 
present  it  is  but  a  village,  and  not  a  very  large  village  either,  con- 
taining about  2500  inhabitants,  and  having  only  a  few  streets,  or 
rather  roads,  which  are  destined  to  be  streets  when  the  interstices  or 
vacant  spaces  have  been  occupied  by  buildings. 

Leaving  Sandusky  early  in  the  morning  by  the  steamer  for 
Buffalo,  you  arrive  early  nest  morning  at  the  latter  place  On 
going  down  the  lake,  the  steamer  touches  at  Cleveland ;  and  I  took 
advantage  of  the  two  hours  occupied  by  "  coaling"  at  that  place, 
to  visit  the  town,  and  was  very  much  pleased  that  I  had  done  so : 
for  although  there  is,  in  the  broad  road-like  streets  and  sparsedly- 
sprinkled  buildings  of  Cleveland,  much  to  include  it  in  the  same 
category  with  Sandusky,  there  is  unquestionably  great  taste  dis- 
played in  the  general  laying-out  of  the  town.  The  streets  are  very 
broad ;  they  are  also  at  right  angles  one  with  another,  and  well 
planted  with  trees  for  shade.  The  present  population  of  Cleveland 
numbers  about  twelve  thousand.  It  boasts  a  medical  college, 
which,  although  a  recent  establishment,  is  represented  as  being  in 
a  very  flourishing  condition ;  and,  like  most  of  the  small  towns  of 
America,  Cleveland  rejoices  in  a  number  of  churches — above 
twenty ;  a  number  which  seems  unusually  great,  considering  the 
comparative  smallness  of  the  population.  Cleveland  also  enjoys 
the  advantage  of  a  very  fine  harbour  on  Lake  Erie,  which  harbour 
is  protected  by  two  piers  jutting  out  into  the  inland  sea.  It  also 
communicates  with  the  Ohio,  on  the  other  side  of  the  state,  by 


mch  impure 
the  renegade 
But  the  wise 
jr,  that  while 
iblican  form 
)reign  ingre- 
ive  all  a  ten- 
iingtpQ — the 
ery  far  from 
ilcated  more 
irdination,  to 
le  was  so  in- 
City,  which 
led  States  of 

0  Erie — and 
neans  of  the 

1  the  other, 
Mississippi, 
)  assume  the 

but  for  the 

either,  con- 

V  streets,  or 

Qterstices  or 

steamer  for 
place  On 
and  I  took 
that  place, 
ad  done  so : 
i  sparsedly- 
in  the  same 
t  taste  dis- 
lets  are  very 
er,  and  well 
f  Cleveland 
3al  college, 
as  being  in 
all  towns  of 
lies — above 
lering  the 
also  enjoys 
Lch  harbour 
.  It  also 
le  state,  by 


THE  LAKES. 


221 


moans  of  a  canal ;  and  being  thus  connected,  by  direct  lines  of 
water  communication,  with  the  Mississippi  on  the  one  side,  and 
with  New  York  and  Canada  on  the  other,  and  situated  in  the 
midst  of  a  great  wheat-producing  country,  there  is  everything  to 
justify  the  expectation  that  Cleveland  in  Ohio,  will,  in  course  of 
time,  attain  the  position  of  a  very  important,  and  the  appearance 
of  a  very  handsome,  city. 

Lake  Erie,  although  standidg  only  fourth  amongst  the  American 
lakes  in  point  of  magnitude,  is  fully  entitled  to  the  appellation  I 
have  above  given  it — namely,  that  of  an  inland  sea.  Its  extreme 
length  is  240  miles,  and  its  average  Tidth  is  nearly  40  miles.  The 
larger  lakes  are — Lake  Superior,  which  is  420  miles  long,  and  of 
an  average  breadth  of  about  100  miles ;  Lake  Michigan,  which  is 
340  miles  long,  by  about  60  miles  broad ;  and  Lake  Huron,  which 
is  270  miles  long,  with  an  average  width  of  about  70  miles.  These 
gigantic  fresh-water  lakes  are  connected  together  throughout  their 
whole  extent ;  and  the  reflection  that  the  river  Niagara,  to  whose 
stupendous  falls  I  was  now  rapidly  approaching,  formed  the  only 
natural  outlet  for  the  vast  body  of  water  (about  one  half  the  fresh 
water  on  the  whole  surface  of  the  globe)  which  is  contained  within 
the  areas  of  Lakes  Superior,  Michigan,  Huron,  and  Erie,  deepened 
the  imprcssiveness  of  the  feelings  with  which  I  now  approached  a 
scene  that  had  ofttlmes  been  present  to  my  imagination  from  the 
days  of  my  boyhood,  floating  among  the  ideas  of  my  mind  in  a 
sort  of  misty,  dreamy  indistinctness.  The  impression  that  I  now 
stood  within  a  few  miles  of  the  great  fall  was  paramount  to  every 
other ;  and  only  stopping  for  a  few  hours  in  the  bustling,  busy, 
town  of  Bufi'alo,  (which  is  situated  in  the  state  of  New  York,  and 
forms,  as  it  were,  the  very  centre  of  the  canal  and  lake  navigation, 
and  railroad  communication,)  so  as  to  enable  me  to  take  a  rapid 
drive  through  it — thereby  seeing  enough  to  justify  the  afl&rmation, 
that  the  town  of  Bufiiilo  is  a  rising,  rapidly  improving  city,  plea- 
santly situated  on  the  borders  of  Lake  Erie,  at  the  head  of  the 
river  Niagara — I  proceeded  by  rail  to  the  village  and  Falls  of 
Niagara.  The  distance  is  only  about  eleven  miles,  and  may  be 
traversed  either  by  railway,  along  the  banks  of  the  river  Niagara, 
or  down  the  river  itself  by  means  of  the  steamer.  I  chose  the 
former  mode,  but  a  comparison  of  notes  with  intelligent  sccTicry- 
loving  friends  satisfied  me  that  the  latter  was  the  best ;  and  when 
I  next  approach  Niagara  from  the  side  of  Lake  Erie,  it  is  my  in- 
tention to  do  so  by  means  of  the  steamboat.  On  arrival  at  the 
village,  or  place  of  debarkation,  the  first  visit  will  naturally  be  to 
the  world-renowned 

.      19* 


222 


FALLS  OF  NIAGARA. 


■;.| 


FALLS  OF  NIAGARA ; 

and,  strange  as  tlie  remark  may  at  first  sight  appear,  I  would  add, 
that  the  sooner  this  first  visit  is  paid,  and  over,  the  better.  Those 
who  have  visited  the  scene  will  understand  the  observation.  The 
first  few  minutes  of  the  contemplation  was  to  me  positively  pain- 
ful, and  left  an  oppressiveness  on  my  spirits  for  all  the  rest  of  the 
day.  It  was  not  that  I  was  disappointed — that  I  could  not  say ; 
and  yet  the  cataracts  were  something  very  different  from  what  i 
had  conceived  them  to  be.  But  the  preconception  and  the  reality 
were  so  totally  unlike,  that  comparison  of  the  one  with  the  other 
was  completely  out  of  the  question ;  and  that  reality  was  so  great, 
that  disappointment  was  equally  precluded  from  my  feelings.  I 
felt  oppressed,  however,  by  the  first  view ;  and  the  companion  who 
accompanied  me  acknowledged,  as  we  sat  together  in  the  evening 
listening  to  the  roar,  that  such  also  was  his  experience.  It  was 
with  a  feeling  of  relief  that  I  turned  away  from  the  scene ;  and  it 
was  not  till  I  had  been  at  Niagara  for  some  days,  and  had  visited 
these  glorious  Falls  at  all  hours,  and  for  hours  together,  that  I  felt 
from  the  contemplation  of  them  that  sotisfaction  (I  cannot  think  of 
a  better  world)  which  I  had  anticipated. 

Oniawgara,  or  the  Thunder  of  Waters,  is  the  expressive  Indian 
name  for  hese  cataracts.  Before  visiting  them,  I  had  seen  many 
views,  and  read  many  descriptions  of  them,  and  attempted  to  form 
some  adequate  idea  of  their  dimensions  and  appearance  by  studying 
their  statistics.  But  although  I  thereby  acquired  some  knowledge 
of  the  feelings  with  which  the  view  had  inspired  others,  and  ascer- 
tained the  enormous  number  of  tons  of  water  that  continually  pour 
over  this  precipice  of  160  feet  high,  and  that  have  continued  cease- 
lessly so  to  do,  probably,  since  creation  first  began,  and  while  gene- 
ration after  generation  of  men  have  been  disappearing  from  the  face 
of  the  globe ;  I  cannot  say  that  such  studies  in  any  measure  pre- 
pared me  for  the  scene  I  actually  witnessed.  For  this  reason  I  will 
not  attempt  any  detailed  description  of  the  Falls,  or  of  their  con- 
comitant rapids  and  whirlpool,  but  content  myself  with  noting  down 
such  suggestions,  as  to  the  mode  of  seeing  them,  as  may  spare  somo 
after  visitor  a  little  of  the  unnecessary  trouble  I  encountered  myself, 
and  aid  him  in  making  the  best  use  of  his  time;  to  which  I  will  add 
on  or  two  remarks  as  to  those  points  which  appeared  to  me  to  form 
the  distinctive  characteristics  of  the  magnificent  scene. 

These,  the  most  stupendous  cataracts  in  the  world,  lie  partly  in 
the  state  of  New  York  and  partly  in  the  British  possessions  of  Ca- 
nada. Near  the  middle  of  the  river,  but  rather  on  the  American 
side  of  it;  stands  Goat  Island — or^  as  it  ought  to  be  called^  Iris  Is- 


FALLS  OF  NIAGARA. 


223 


would  add, 
ter.  Those 
ition.  The 
tivcly  pain- 
rcst  of  the 
Id  not  say ; 
om  what  i 
the  reality 
;h  the  other 
as  so  great, 
feelings,  I 
panion  who 
the  evening 
36.  It  was 
me;  and  it 
had  visited 
,  that  I  felt 
lot  think  of 

3sivo  Indian 
seen  many 
)ted  to  form 
by  studying 
knowledge 
and  ascer- 
nually  pour 
Qued  cease- 
while  genc- 
om  the  face 
easure  pre- 
jason  I  will 
■  their  con- 
oting  down 
spare  some 
3red  myself, 
h  I  will  add 
me  to  form 

e  partly  in 
ions  of  Ca- 
e  American 
led;  Iris  Is- 


land, that  being  the  name  assigned  to  it  by  its  proprietor,  and  to 
which  it  is  well  entitled,  ,by  the  numerous  spray-created  rainbows 
that  play  in  the  vicinity  of  it.  This  island  contains  about  seventy 
acres  of  land,  and  by  it  the  river  is  divided  at  the  Fall,  and  for  a 
considerable  space  above  it — the  main  body  of  the  stream  passing 
down  on  the  south-western  side,  and  being  precipitated  over  what  is 
called  the  Canadian,  or  (in  allusion  to  its  shape)  "  The  Crescent  or 
Horse-shoe  Fall";  and  the  lesser  portion  passing  on  the  north-eastern 
side  of  Iris  Island,  and  falling  over  the  American  Fall.  But  the 
waters  falling  over  the  American  Fall  are  divided  previous  to,  and 
at  the  point  of  their  descent.  After  passing  the  upper  end  of  Iris 
Island,  they  are  divided  by  what  is  called  Bath  Island,  and  by  some 
smaller  ones ;  and  at  the  point  where  they  are  precipitated  over  the 
cliff,  they  are  separated  by  a  very  small  island,  called  in  the  guide- 
books Prospect  Island,  but  named  by  my  informant  by  the  more 
euphonious  name  of  Luna  Island.  The  comparatively  small  portion 
of  waters  which  falls  over  between  Goat  Island  and  Prospect  Island 
is  known  as  the  "  Centre  Cascade" ;  and  this  fall  is  from  the  highest 
point  of  the  precipice,  the  height  of  the  descent  here  being  162  feet, 
while  the  height  of  the  American  Fall,  which  lies  between  Prospect 
Island  and  the  state  of  New  York,  is  160  feet — the  Horse-shoe  Fall 
being  of  lesser  altitude  by  a  few  feet. 

The  above  general  description  will  be  suflScient  to  show  that  these 
falls,  to  be  properly  seen,  must  be  viewed  not  only  from  below  as 
well  as  above,  but  from  both  sides  of  the  river ;  and,  as  there  is 
ample  accommodation  for  the  reception  of  travellers  on  both  sides, 
much  is  said  and  written  as  to  which  is  the  best  side  whence  to  view 
the  falls.  The  guide-books  being  chiefly  manufactured  in  the  United 
States,  of  course,  and  with  a  natural  enough  preference,  generally 
say  all  they  can  to  induce  the  traveller  to  take  up  his  abode  at  Nia- 
gara village,  on  the  New  York  side.  I  did  so,  and  1  certainly  have 
every  reason  to  write,  with  unqualified  eulogy,  of  the  comfort  and 
attention  felt  and  experienced  in  the  Cataract  Hotel.  But  the  fact  is 
indisputable,  that  by  far  the  finest  view  of  the  falls  is  that  obtained 
from  the  other  side  of  the  river.  From  the  door  or  from  the  win- 
dows of  Clifton  House,  which  is  the  name  of  the  principal  hotel  on 
the  Canada  side,  the  view  is  grand  in  the  extreme — infinitely  more 
so  than  any  other  general  view  that  can  be  taken  of  these  stupen- 
dous cataracts.  In  front  lies  the  great  Horse-shoe  Fall,  with  its  sea 
of  waters  continuously  pouring  over  the  precipice  into  a  caldron  of 
scarcely  known  depth,  whence  a  constant  cloud  of  spray  springs  up, 
encircling,  and  sometimes  obscuring,  the  fall  itself.  On  the  left  is 
the  scarcely  less  magnificent  American  Fall,  hurrying  onward — the 
W'it'^rs  discharging  themselves  over  the  precipice  they  have  to  encoun- 
ter, as  if  impatient  to  join  the  kindred  waters  from  which  they  have 


224 


FALLS  OF  NIAGARA.  1 


been  so  lately  separated,  and  regardless  of  the  obstacles  which  in- 
terpose to  resist  their  doing  so  j  while  between  the  two  there  sparkles 
in  the  sunbeams  the  noble  Centre  Cascade — a  full  which  would  bo 
in  itself  an  object  of  attraction  and  gratification  in  any  other  prc< 
eence  than  that  of  its  monster  brethren. 

For  this  reason — namely,  because  it  places  constantly  before  h'r, 
observation  the  most  imposing  general  view  of  the  falls,  and  also 
because  the  more,  and  the  oftcner,  and  the  longer,  these  falls  are 
viewed,  the  more  will  they  fill  the  mind  of  the  contemplative  visitor 
—I  advise  the  traveller  not  to  follow  my  example,  by  taking  up  his 
abode  exclusively  on  the  American  side,  but,  after  living  two  or  three 
days  on  that  side,  (whence  Goat  Island,  &c.,  is  alone  approachable,) 
to  cross  over  and  take  up  his  residence  for  at  least  two  or  three  days 
longer  on  the  Canadian  side. 

1  have  already  said  that,  despite  the  fact  that  the  Falls  of  Niagara 
had  been  the  subject  of  my  dreams  almost  from  boyhood,  and  not- 
withstanding my  having  read  at  least  half-a-dozen  attempts  at  de- 
scription of  them,  I  found,  when  I  stood  in  view  of  these  cataracts, 
that  I  really  had  not  hod  any  preconception  of  them  whatever.  Thus 
I  feel  it  will  ever  be.  The  only  thing  that  struck  me  on  this  sub- 
ject was,  that  whereas,  in  my  preconceptions,  I  had  surrounded  the 
Falls  of  Niagara  with  many  elements  of  grandeur,  separate  and  in- 
dependent of  the  mere  waterfall  itself;  when  I  stood  on  the  spot, 
when  expectation  and  imagination  had  been  swallowed  up  in  the 
reality,  it  was  the  falls — the  falls  alone — that  occupied  my  attention 
and  filled  up  the  view.  Above  the  falls,  and  at  the  point  where  the 
sea  tumbles  over  the  precipice,  there  is  no  mountainously  grand 
scenery  to  attract  or  distract  the  attention.  The  broad  and  deep,  but 
clear  and  rapid  river  flows  smoothly  along  .  oni  the  waters  of  Lake 
Erie,  with  a  hasty  but  unbroken  current,  until  it  begins  to  be  divided 
by  the  islands  above  the  falls,  as  it  approaches  the  brow,  as  it  were, 
of  the  mountain  ridge  on  which  it  is  flowing.  Before  being  so  di- 
vided, the  river  is  nearly  two  miles  broad.  After  being  divided,  and 
as  it  approaches  the  upper  end  of  Goat  Island,  the  channel  contracts, 
and  the  waters  accelerate  their  course.  Down  the  rapids  they  hasten, 
boiling  and  agitated,  as  with  a  consciousness  of  the  fearful  plunge 
that  lies  before  them ;  but  still  preserving  enough  of  their  calmness 
and  continuity,  as  to  sweep  over  the  verge  of  the  precipice  in  one 
unbroken  and  continuous  stream.  The  great  depth  of  water,  at  the 
point  where  it  commences  its  fearful  perpendicular  descent,  ere  it 
breaks  into  crisping  foam — which  it  does  not  do  until  it  has  fallen 
some  twenty  or  thirty  yards — is  powerfully  exhibited  in  the  sea-green 
colour  of  the  water  about  the  centre  of  the  Horse-shoe  Fall.  Indeed 
this  sea-like  colour,  and  the  continuity  (so  to  speak)  of  the  wrtca 
themselves,  at  the  point  where  the  descent  commences,  form  two  of 


FALLS  OF  NIAGARA. 


225 


jlcs  which  in- 
thero  sparkles 
ich  would  bo 
iny  other  pre- 

tly  before  h'r, 
'alls,  and  also 
bese  falls  are 
plativo  visitor 

taking  up  Lis 
g  two  or  three 
ipproaeliablc,) 

or  three  days 

,11s  of  Niagara 

lood,  and  not- 

tempts  at  dc- 

lese  cataracts, 

liatcvcr.  Thus 

on  this  sub- 

irroundcd  the 

parate  and  in- 

on  the  spot, 

cd  up  in  the 

I  my  attention 

►int  where  the 

nously  grand 

and  deep,  but 

iters  of  Lake 

to  be  divided 

w,  as  it  were, 

being  so  di- 

;  divided,  and 

uel  contracts, 

s  they  hasten, 

earful  plunge 

heir  calmness 

ccipice  in  one 

water,  at  iho 

escent,  ere  it 

it  has  fallen 

the  sea-green 

Fall.  Indeed 

)f  the  wrtca 

form  two  of 


the  facts  connected  with  the  Falls  of  the  Niagara  that  now  present 
themselves  most  vividly  to  my  recollection.  Shortly  below  the  falls, 
the  depth  of  the  water  is  about  250  feet ;  but  there,  and  for  some 
miles,  and  down  as  far  as  Lewistown  or  Queenstown,  the  river  is 
greatly  pent  in.  I  could  not  learn  that  any  attempt  had  ever  been 
made,  or  could  be  made,  for  ascertaining  the  exact  depth  of  the 
river  at  or  about  the  centre  of  the  Crescent  Fall,  ere  it  throws  itself 
from  the  top  of  the  precipice,  but  the  green  colour  alluded  to  shows 
that  it  must  be  very  great. 

The  Indians  had  a  superstition  that  the  genius  who  presided  over 
the  Falls  of  Niagara  required  the  annual  sacrifice,  at  this  his  shrine, 
of  at  least  two  human  victims.  Ere  the  Eed  man  lost  this  part  of 
his  once  broad  but  now  contracted  possessions,  the  supposed  merciless 
Spirit  of  the  Cataract  was  scarcely  ever  disappointed  or  defrauded  of 
his  victims.  At  least  two  human  beings  have  annually  passed  into 
eternity,  by  disappearing  over  the  falls,  for  as  far  back  as  any  annals 
of  these  cataracts  exist.  Since  the  white  man  succeeded  to  the 
proprietorship,  the  number  of  such  victims  has  certainly  not  dimin- 
ished. His  habitual  enterprize  and  daring  have  multiplied  them 
greatly ;  and  many  are  the  harrowing  accounts  of  such  fearful  acci- 
dents to  be  found  in  the  guide-books,  or  to  be  heard  from  the  narra- 
tives of  the  guides,  who  here,  as  in  all  such  pLces  of  general  resort, 
haunt  and  occasionally  annoy  you.  Even  about  the  time  of  my  visit, 
and  within  a  few  days  of  it,  an  accident  occurred,  second  in  point  of 
lamentable,  harrowing  incident  to  none  of  those  which  have  pre- 
ceded it.  Having  stood  on  the  very  point  whence  the  victims  were 
precipitated,  and  that  immediately  before  the  accident  took  place,  and 
having  the  whole  of  terrific  event  graphically  present  to  my  mental 
vision,  the  scene  has  often  since  recurred  to  my  recollection — par- 
ticularly during  the  hours  of  midnight — with  a  startling  vividness 
and  personality  which  is  excessively  painful.  The  lamentable  cir- 
cumstance to  which  I  refer  was  shortly  as  follows.  Names  are  re- 
pressed in  the  narrative,  because,  unlikely  though  it  be  that  this 
book  shall  fall  into  the  hands  of  any  one  connected  with  the 
victims,  it  is  still  a  possible  thing  that  it  should  do  so;  and  I  would 
run  the  hazard  of  giving  pain  where  I  could  avoid  the  possibility  of 
doing  so.  Besides,  names  are  not  necessary  to  give  touching  effect 
to  such  an  incident,  which  is  one  of  recent  occurrence  and  well 
known,  at  least  in  the  localities  where  it  occurred,  or  which  it 
affected. 

A  party  of  pleasure,  composed  chiefly  of  the  members  of  two  fami- 
lies about  to  be  more  closely  united  by  intermarriage,  had  visited 
the  Falls  of  Niagara  from  the  New  York  side,  and  were  enjoying 
the  superb  view  of  them  to  be  witnessed  from  Iris  Island  and  the 
neighbouring  little  Prospect  Island.     One  of  the  party,  a  little  girl 


226 


FALLS  OF  NIAGARA. 


of  about  twelve  years  old,  with  the  giddiness  natural  to  her  years, 
had  gone  too  near  the  water  and  the  precipice,  and  had  been  repeat- 
edly called  back.  On  repeating  the  inconsiderateness,  a  young  gen- 
tleman, the  affianced  of  the  sister  of  the  child,  followed  her  to  bring 
her  back,  and  having  caught  her  by  the  dress,  playfully  attempted 
to  frighten  her,  by  holding  her  forwards  towards  the  water,  as  if  he 
would  drop  her  into  the  river.  Fearful  to  narrate,  the  part  of  the 
dress  by  which  he  held  the  child  gave  way  in  his  grasp,  the  child 
fell  into  the  hurrying,  eddying,  tossing  waters.  In  a  vain  hope  of 
saving  her,  or  maddened  to  desperation  by  the  scene,  the  youth 
sprang  after  her,  and  both  were  instantly  launched  into  eternity,  by 
being  thrown  with  great  force  over  the  precipice  into  the  boiling 
caldron  below.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add  that  the  dead  bodies 
were  not  found  for  some  days  afterwards,  and  then  at  or  about  the 
whirlpool,  a  considerable  distance  down  the  river. 

Many  such  incidents  have  occurred  through  the  temerity  of 
visitors  at  Niagara.  Some  years  ago  a  young  lady  lost  her  life  by 
going  too  near,  and  falling  over  the  precipice  on  the  other  side  of  the 
river ;  and  the  unfortunate  event  is  chronicled,  on  a  board  exhibited 
by  one  of  those  persons  who  earn  a  precarious  livelihood  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  falls,  in  lines  strongly  suggestive  of  the  fact  of  how 
nearly,  in  this  world,  that  which  is  ludicrous  approaches,  if  it  be  not 
allied  to,  that  which  is  sublime.  The  doggrel  inscription  sets  out 
with  a  compliment  to  the  whole  race  of  womankind^  and  is  in  these 
words — 

"  Woman,  most  beauteous  of  the  human  race, 
Be  cautious  of  a  dangevous  place, 

For  here  Miss at  tioenty-three  . 

Was  kunched  into  e<cmiV^." 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that,  if  any  poet  of  the  falls  attempts  to  chroni- 
cle the  event  which  sent  Mr.  A and  his  little  friend  to  an  un- 
timely tomb,  ho  may  be  more  successful  in  his  endeavours,  by  nar- 
rating the  story  in  verses  worthy  of  its  touching  truth. 

Before  visiting  Niagara,  1 1.  ^d  heard  much  of  the  great  distance 
at  which  the  cataract  makes  itself  both  seen  and  heard — seen  by  its 
clouds  of  mist  and  spray,  and  heard  by  its  deep  booming  and  un- 
ceasing roar.  I  cannot  say  that  my  expectations  in  these  respects 
were  gratified;  on  the  contrary,  I  did  not  see  the  spray,  neither  did 
I  hear  the  sound,  many  miles  oflf.  But  these  are  matters  which 
depend  so  much  on  the  direction  of  the  wind,  and  on  the  nature  of 
the  weather,  as  well  as  on  the  acuteness  of  vision  and  of  hearing  in  . 
different  individuals,  that  I  merely  notice  that  the  fact  was  so.  But 
the  roar  of  the  cataract  itself,  as  you  stand  before  it,  is  quite  another 
matter.     With  that  1  was  not  disappointed,  although  I  cannot  at 


FALLS  OF  NIAGARA. 


227 


[  to  her  years, 
d  been  repeat- 
,  a  young  gen- 
d  her  to  bring 
iiUy  attempted 
water,  as  if  he 
le  part  of  the 
rasp,  the  child 
,  vain  hope  of 
ene,  the  youth 
to  eternity,  by 
to  the  boiling 
be  dead  bodies 
'j  or  about  the 

e  temerity  of 
Dst  her  life  by 
her  side  of  the 
oard  exhibited 
ilihood  in  the 
be  fact  of  how 
es,  if  it  be  not 
)tion  sets  out 
lud  is  in  these 


ipts  to  chroni- 
nd  to  an  un- 
vours,  by  nar- 

reat  distance 
— seen  by  its 
ning  and  un- 
these  respects 
7,  neither  did 
natters  which 
the  nature  of 
of  hearing  in  » 
was  so.  But 
quite  another 
h  I  cannot  at 


present  remember  any  sound  I  can  liken  it  to  so  as  to  give  a  fitting 
idea  of  its  nature — 

"  Only  itself  can  be  its  parallel." 

It  is  like  the  voice  of  thunder  as  I  have  heard  it  on  the  Mississippi, 
and  also  among  the  mountains  of  my  native  land — it  is  like  the  noise 
of  the  contending  elements  of  wind  and  rain,  as  I  have  heard  them 
in  a  storm  on  the  ocean — it  is  like  the  roaring  of  the  surf,  as  I  have 
heard  it  breaking  among  the  islands  of  the  Hebridean  sea,  after  hav- 
ing crossed  the  broad  Atlantic — it  is  like  all  these,  and  all  these 
combined;  but  it  has  a  sound  peculiar  to  itself — a  sound  which  im- 
pressed me  with  deeper  awe  than  any  noise  I  had  ever  heard  before. 
How  is  it  that,  in  such  a  scene,  the  heart  so  longs  for  solitude  ?  To 
be  alone  is  the  predominating  desire ;  and  yet  how  little  does  one 
feil  alone  on  such  an  occasion,  when  no  human  dye  rests  on  the  view 
but  your  own !  The  voice  of  the  living  cataract  speaks  in  your  very 
ears  j  it  thunders  forth  eternity ;  it  tells  you  of  a  power  which  is 
illimitable — of  a  Being  who  is  omnipotent  in  His  majeaty,  as  well 
as  eternal  in  His  duration.  And  even  while  you  feel  that,  as  a 
mere  man,  you  are  gazing  on  a  something  which  is  far  beyond  your 
capacity  to  form,  or  your  power  to  control,  you  feel  at  the  same 
time  that  there  is  an  omnipotent  Being  to  whom  that  great  waterfall 
is  but  as  "  a  drop  in  the  bucket ;"  and  that  you  are  allied  to  Him 
by  a  never-dying  principle,  which  places  even  you  supremely  above 
and  beyond  the  most  stupendous  of  nature's  formations ; — a  some- 
thing which  will  live  and  may  luxuriate  among  the  boundless  works 
of  Him,  an  emblem  of  whose  majesty  and  might  you  are  here  con- 
templating, even  when  that  noble  cataract  shall  have  ceasod  to  flow. 
Most  truthfully  can  I  affirm  that,  never  do  I  remember  of  being  so 
deeply  impressed  with  the  almost  sense  of  a  present  Deity,  than  I 
was  as  I  stood  alone,  and  at  a  late  hour  on  a  moonlight  night,  con- 
templating from  the  Table  Itock  the  waters  of  the  J  .iagara,  as  they 
tumbled  successively  and  continuously,  and  with  a  ceaseless  roar, 
over  the  precipice  of  the  Great  or  the  Horse-shoe  Fall.  Dickens* 
description  of  his  feelings  at  Niagara  is  one  of  the  very  few  parts  of 
Notes  on  America  that  seem  to  me  worthy  of  his  fame  as  a  descrip- 
tive writer.  In  particular,  I  can  fully  sympathise  with  him  in  tho 
passage  in  which  he  says — "  It  was  not  until  I  came  on  Table  Rock 
and  looked — great  heaven !  on  what  a  fall  of  bright  green  water- 
that  it  came  upon  me  in  its  full  might  and  majesty. 

"  Then,  when  I  felt  how  near  my  Creator  I  was  standing,  tho 
first  effect  and  the  enduring  one,  instant  and  lasting,  of  the  tre- 
mendous spectacle,  was  Peace  ! — peace  of  mind,  tranquillity,  calm 
recollections  of  the  dead,  great  thoughts  of  eternal  rest  and  happi- 
ness, nothing  of  gloom  and  terror — Niagara  was  at  once  stamped 


228 


FALLS  OF  NIAGARA. 


upon  my  heart  an  image  of  beauty,  to  remain  there  changeless  and 
indelible,  until  Its  pulses  cease  to  beat  for  ever. 

"  Oh,  how  the  strife  and  trouble  of  our  daily  life  receded  from 
my  view,  and  lessened  in  the  distance,  during  the  ten  memorable 
days  we  passed  on  that  enchanted  ground !  What  voices  spoke 
from  out  the  thundering  waters  ! — what  faces,  faded  from  the  earth, 
looked  out  upon  me  from  its  gleaming  depths ! — what  heavenly 
promise  glistened  in  these  angels'  tears,  the  drops  of  many  hues, 
that  showered  around  and  twined  themselves  above  the  gorgeous 
arches  which  the  changing  rainbow  made  V 

There  is  not — I  know  and  feel  that  there  is  not — the  Slightest 
shade  of  exaggeration  in  the  statement  that,  in  every  word  of  this 
most  beautiful  description  of  the  eflFects,  the  abiding  effects,  pro- 
duced in  the  mind  by  contemplating  this  sea  falling  over  this 
mountain  range,  I  can  most  fully  sympathize ;  and,  as  I  could  not 
hope  to  describe  the  scene  in  terms  as  eloquent,  I  see  nothing  ob- 
jectionable in  borrowing  part  of  his  description,  at  same  time  that 
I  acknowledge  the  source  whence  I  have  received  it.  Even  now, 
in  the  hour  at  which  I  write,  amidst  the  scenery  of  my  native 
much-loved  land,  and  with  all  nature  lying  around  me  in  deep 
repose,  and  everything  still  around  me,  there  is  nothing  of  the 
past — nothing  connected  with  my  journey ings  by  land  or  by  sea — 
that  I  can  more  readily  recall  than  the  realities  of  Niagara.  I  can 
see  vividly,  though  but  in  mental  vision,  the  broad  deep  river 
coming  on  in  smiling  placidity,  as  unconscious  of  its  dreadful  fate; 
Anon  some  symptoms  of  feeling  pervade  its  waters.  It  tosses  and 
tumbles,  as  if  it  would  strive  against  its  fate,  but  yet  onward,  on- 
ward it  comes ;  and  when  it  sees  its  fate  to  be  inevitable,  it  meets 
that  destiny  with  calmness  and  resolution,  as  it  quietly  falls  over 
into  the  abyss  in  one  continuous  sheet ;  while  from  below  there 
rises  a  veil  of  mist  and  vapour,  as  if  gracefully  to  conceal  the 
death-struggles  of  the  river  from  the  view  of  the  spectator. 

The  concomitants  of  the  falls  are  the  rapids  above  them,  and  the 
whirlpool  and  suspension-bridge  below  them.  All  of  these  are 
well  worthy  of  inspection :  in  particular  both  the  rapids  and  the 
whirlpool  deserve,  and  will  repay,  a  lengthened  visit.  It  is  the 
phraseology  of  the  guide-books,  and  even  of  some  tourists,  to  speak 
of  the  rapids  and  whirlpool  as  almost  as  wondrous  as  the  falls 
themselves ;  but  this  is  simply  nonsene.  They  are  extraordinary 
and  wonderful ;  they  are  not  magnificent.  As  appendages  to  the 
falls,  they  are  worthy  appendages.  Apart  from  the  falls,  there 
would  not  be  much  in  either  of  them,  although  the  writers  I  have 
alluded  to  speak  of  the  whirlpool  as  fully  as  dangerous,  if  not  as 
wonderful,  as  the  great  Maelstroom  whirlpool  oq  the  Norwegian 
coast. 


FALLS  OF  NL\GARA. 


229 


langeless  and 

receded  from 
a  memorable 
voices  spoke 
om  the  earth, 
hat  heavenly 
'  many  hues, 
the  gorgeous 

■the  Siightest 
word  of  this 
;  effects,  pro- 
ng over  this 
s  I  could  not 
B  nothing  ob- 
\me  time  that 
Even  now, 
of  my  native 
.  me  in  deep 
othing  of  the 
d  or  by  sea — 
^gara.     I  can 
d  deep  river 
dreadful  fate; 
It  tosses  and 
b  onward,  on- 
ible,  it  meets 
)tly  falls  over 
I  below  there 
►  conceal  the 
ator. 

lem,  and  the 
of  these  are 
ipids  and  the 
t.  It  is  the 
'ists,  to  speak 
as  the  falls 
xtraordinary 
dages  to  the 
falls,  there 
writers  I  have 
us,  if  not  as 
e  Norwegian 


Of  the  two  "rapids,"  I  prefer  those  immediately  above  the 
Crescent  Fall.  Both  rapids  are  best  seen  from  Goat  Island.  Tho 
whiiSool  should  be  viewed  both  from  the  top  of  the  bank  and 
from  below.  The  scene  above  is  very  diflFerent  from  that  beneath ; 
and  it  is  only  by  viewing  it  in  both  positions  that  you  become  fully 
alive  to  the  great  power  of  the  circling  eddies. 

The  suspension-bridge,  which  has  been  thrown  across  the  river 
at  the  distance  of  about  a  mile  below  the  falls,  is  a  remarkable 
work,  although,  in  these  days  of  engineering  talent  and  enterprise 
— an  age  which  witnesses  a  railway  carried  by  tubes  across  the 
Menri  Straits — it  seemed  to  me  that  my  transatlantic  friends  were 
disposed  to  make  somewhat  too  much  of  the  difficulty  and  mag- 
nitude of  the  undertukiug.  Still,  to  throw  a  bridge  across  the 
river  Niagara,  at  the  point  in  question,  was  a  work  requiring  no 
mean  mechanical  skill  and  attention.  The  contractor  was  a  Mr. 
EUett.  Having  established  the  first  connexion  by  means  of  a  kite, 
Mr.  EUett,  after  successively  replacing  a  string  with  a  rope,  and 
the  rope  with  a  wire  cable  one  inch  in  diameter,  was  himself  carried 
over  in  a  car  suspended  from  the  latter.  The  distance  between 
the  bridge  and  thd  surface  of  the  water  is  230  feet;  the  depth  of 
the  water  below  the  bridge  is  250  feet ;  the  length  of  the  bridge  is 
650  feet,  crossing  a  river  of  nearly  350  feet  in  breadth.  The  pre- 
sent bridge  is  merely  a  temporary  erection,  intended  to  give  place 
to  a  more  substantial  structure.  But  even  the  present  erection 
affords  accommodation  for  the  passage  not  merely  of  foot  passen- 
gers, but  of  carriages  and  horses,  from  the  Canadian  to  the  Ameri- 
can shore — these  latter,  however,  being  only  allowed  to  cross  it 
slowly,  and  at  a  walking  pace. 

When  viewing  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  I  felt  it  difficult  to  repress 
the  wish  that  I  could  have  seen  them  when  some  stupendous  object 
of  man's  fashioning  were  precipitated  over  the  precipice  and  into 
the  abyss,  were  it  only  to  have  ocular  demonstration  of  the  feeble- 
ness of  human  power  to  contend  with  this  cataract  of  nature's 
forming ;  and  probably  no  one  will  ever  see  "  the  Falls"  to  greater 
advantage  than  did  those  who  saw  the  steam-ship  Caroline  pass 
over  the  main  cataract  in  a  burning  state,  at  midnight,  in  the  month 
of  December,  1847.  With  the  political  view  of  that  matter — 
whether  the  act  was  justifiable  or  unjustifiable — I  have  here  noth- 
ing to  do.  I  have  my  opinions  on  the  subject,  but  it  were  foreign 
to  the  nature  of  this  work  to  make  any  mention  of  what  these 
views  are ;  besides,  there  are  a  sufficient  number  of  the  extrava- 
gant and  over-zealous,  on  both  sides  of  tho  Atlantic,  to  keep  up 
any  little  soreness  that  the  burning  of  this  steamer  by  the  British 
may  have  excited  at  the  time  of  the  event.  That  such  soreness 
exists  is,  however,  but  too  evident ;  and  it  would  be  strange  were 

20 


230 


LEWISTOWN— QUEENSTOWN. 


it  to  happen  that  Canada  should  he  annexed  to  the  United  States 
through  the  agency  and  instrumentality,  and  with  the  wishes,  of 
those  very  British  who  were  instrumental  in  creating  the  irritation 
referred  to  hy  the  forcible  seizure  and  burning  of  the  Caroline. 

But  it  is  with  the  destruction  of  the  Caroline,  not  as  a  political, 
but  as  a  picturesque,  affair,  I  have  hero  to  do.  At  midnight,  in  a 
winter's  night,  a  party  of  men  from  the  Canadian  shore  boarded  the 
Caroline,  as  she  lay  moored  at  Navy  Island — cut  her  out,  set  her  on 
fire,  cast  her  loose,  then  abandoned  her,  and  left  the  blazing  vessel 
to  drift  slowly  down,  casting  a  lurid  light  on  the  surrounding  objects, 
until  the  whole  was  suddenly,  instantaneously  quenched,  as  the 
doomed  vessel  disappeared  over  the  great  or  Crescent  Fall.  It  must 
have  been  a  very  imposing  sight. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


"Those  are  thy  glorious  works,  thou  Source  of  good— 
How  dimly  seen,  how  faintly  understood  I     " 
Thine,  and  upheld  by  thy  paternal  care, 
This  universal  frame,  thus  wondrous  fair. 
Thy  power  divine,  uad  bounty  beyond  thought. 
Adored  and  praised  in  all  that  thou  hast  wrought." 

COWPER. 

It  was  with  much  reluctance  that,  after  spending  at  Niagara  one  of 
the  best  remembered  weeks  of  my  life,  I  resumed  my  journcyings, 
by  proceeding  onward,  by  horse-drawn  railway  carriage,  from  Niagara 
to  Lewistown.  Before  leaving  the  scene  which  had  afforded  me  such 
deep  delight,  and  which  I  know  not  if  I  may  be  spared  and  privi- 
leged again  to  see,  I  spent  the  forenoon  in  revisiting  the  various 
views  that  had  most  deeply  impressed  me ;  and  these  last  looks  are 
among  the  most  vivid  of  my  recollections :  they  also  supplied  me 
with  much  food  for  reflection  in  my  after  wanderings — 

••  Adieu  to  thee  again— a  last  adieu ! 
There  cm  be  no  farewell  to  scenes  like  thine : 
My  mind  is  coloured  by  thy  every  liue." 

The  village  of  Lewistown  is  situated  on  the  Niagara,  immediately 
before  it  enters  the  waters  of  Lake  Ontario.  It  is  on  the  American 
Slide  of  the  river,  and  on  the  opposite  or  Canadian  side  stands  the 
picturesque  improving  town  of  Queenstown.  From  one  or  other  of 
these  places  there  are  constant  opportunities  of  proceeding  down 
Lake  Ontario  by  some  one  of  the  numerous  and  very  superior  steam- 
ers which  ply  upon  the  lake,  carrying  the  British  standard  or  the 
American  flag,  just  as  ownership  or  interest  dictates.  At  Jicwistown 
or  QueeustowD;  or  rather  shortly  before  reaching  them,  the  river 


BROCK'S  MONUMENT. 


231 


Jnlted  States 
le  wishes,  of 
the  irritation 
Caroline, 
as  a  political, 
lidnight,  in  a 
B  boarded  the 
ut,  set  her  on 
blazing  vessel 
nding  objects, 
ched,  as  the 
JaW.    It  must 


OWPEB. 


'Niagara  one  of 

journcyings, 

from  Niagara 

)rded  me  such 

red  and  privi- 

V  the  various 

last  looks  are 

supplied  me 


,  immediately 
the  American 
de  stands  the 
tie  or  other  of 
cccding  down 
uperior  stcaiii- 
mdard  or  the 
At  Jjewistown 
em,  the  river 


\ 


Niagara  emerges  from  the  gorge  or  valley  in  which  it  has  been  flow- 
ing ever  since  it  sustained  its  trying  fall  at  the  village  of  Niagara. 
The  fact  that  the  highlands  thus  continue  down  to  Queenstown,  and 
that  the  river  between  the  Niagara  and  Queenstown  flows  at  a  level 
so  much  below  that  of  the  surrounding  country,  has  given  rise  to 
the  opinion  that,  at  some  long  antecedent  period,  the  falls  wcro 
situated  about  that  point  of  the  river  opposite  which  the  town  of 
Queenfitown  now  stands.  In  theory,  there  is  much*  to  be  said  in 
favour  of  this  view  of  the  matter ;  but  the  difficulty  is  to  assign  a 
date  when  this  retrocession  of  the  fulls  can  have  taken  place,  inas- 
much as  the  oldest  description  of  them  extant — and  there  are  some 
very  old  ones — describe  them  as  occupying  very  much  the  same 
position,  and  exhibiting  very  much  the  same  shape  and  appearance, 
that  they  do  now.  If  the  receding  was  gradual,  it  must  have  taken 
many  thousands  of  years  for  the  falls  to  have  worked  back  from 
Queenstown  to  Niagara.  If  sudden,  and  by  a  convulsive  operation 
of  nature  within  the  annals  of  time,  it  is  incredible  that  some  tra- 
dition of  the  event  has  not  been  handed  down  among  the  Indians 
who  composed  the  Six  Nations  which  formerly  occupied  and  pos- 
sessed the  territory  lying  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Niagara.  More- 
over, written  accounts  of  the  falls,  at  a  period  more  than  a  century 
anter'or  to  the  present  datw,  are  in  existence,  and  these  indicate  no 
retrocession  of  the  river,  or  any  material  alteration  in  the  position, 
or  in  the  general  appearance  and  features,  of  the  falls  themselves. 

The  view  from  the  top  of  the  hill,  as  you  descend  upon  the  river 
of  Lewistown,  is  exceedingly  picturesque.  Before  and  immediately 
under  you  stands  the  village  of  Lewistown,  with  the  town  of  Queens- 
town on  the  opposite  side  of  tho  river ;  while  on  the  heights  above 
Queenstown  towers  a  monument  to  the  memory  of  Lieut.-General 
Brock,  which,  though  now  almost  in  ruins,  forms  a  very  imposing 
object  in  the  view.  On  the  left  hand,  as  you  enter  the  village,  flows 
the  broad,  deep,  clear  Niagara  river,  moving  swiftly,  but  yet  in  calm 
grandeur,  almost  as  if  it  were  taking  time  to  recover  from  the  effects 
of  its  late  extravagance,  and  as  yet  only  partially  successful  in  its 
efibrts  to  assume  a  less  vexed  appearance  j  while,  to  complete  tho 
picture,  the  deep  blue  sea-like  waters  of  Lake  Ontario  are  seen 
stretching  beyond  and  before  you,  and  away  into  tho  extreme  dis- 
tance. 

In  reference  to  the  present  dilapidated  condition  of  the  monument 
erected  to  the  memory  of  the  gallant  Brock — which  appearance 
arises  from  the  unsuccessful  attempt  of  a  miserable  miscreant  to  blow 
it  up  with  gunpowder,  during  the  insurrection  which  occurred  in 
Canada  in  1837  and  1838 — I  could  not  help  heartily  execrating  tho 
dastardly  spirit  that  could  take  such  a  mode  of  exhibiting  either  its 
politics  or  its  passions.    I  audibly  expressed  myself  to  this  effect,  in 


232 


OSWEGO. 


the  society  of  sonic  United  States  tradesmen,  who  were  going  down 
from  Niagara  to  Lewistown  on  a  trip  of  pleasure,  and  who  occupied 
the  car  with  me.  On  so  doing,  I  was  delighted  to  find  that  not  even 
national  prejudice  could  blunt  their  sense  of  the  miserable  impropriety 
of  such  an  act :  one  and  all  of  them  joined  me  most  heartily,  by 
expressing  their  detestation  of  tho  heartless  dastard  by  whom  it  was 
committed. 

Arrived  at  Lewistown,  we  immediately  proceeded  on  board  the 
American  steamer,  yclept  the  Lady  of  the  Lake,  and  speedily  un- 
mooring, the  power  of  the  steamer,  aided  by  the  rapidity  of  the  cur- 
rent— which  bore  runs  at  the  rate  of  about  seven  miles  an  hour- 
very  soon  brought  us  into  the  waters  of  Lake  Ontario.  The  scenery 
of  the  lower  part  of  the  Niagara  is  very  pleasing,  as  is  also  that  por- 
tion of  the  American  side  of  the  lake  which  I  saw  ere  the  shades  of 
evening  closed  on  the  view.  But  I  find  I  have  especially  noted  the 
colour  of  the  waters,  both  of  the  river  and  the  lake,  as  remarkable 
as  well  as  pleasing.  Clear,  bright,  and  sparkling,  the  foam  created 
by  the  movement  of  the  paddles  of  the  steamer  seemed  to  me  to 
have  a  creaminess  and  a  consistency  superior  to  the  froth  of  ordinary 
water.  But  perchance  the  recollection  of  the  brown  muddy-looking 
■waters  of  the  Mississippi  was  then  fresh  in  my  memory,  and  ren- 
dered the  waters  of  a  purer  stream  more  beautiful  and  grateful  by 
the  contrast. 

Lake  Ontario  stands  only  fifth  among  the  gigantic  lakes  of  the 
New  World  in  point  of  magnitude.  It  is  180  miles  long — is,  at  its 
greatest  width,  52  miles  broad — and  has  an  average  width  of  about 
40  miles.     It  is,  moreover,  very  deep. 

The  first  place  at  which  the  steamer  touched  was  the  town  or  vil- 
lage of  Oswego,  on  the  American  side  of  the  lake,  and  in  the  state 
of  New  York.  Oswego  is  a  gay,  sparsedly  built,  but  improving 
town  of  considerable  size,  having  many  American  features,  badly 
paved  streets  inclusive.  It  enjoys  a  large  and  increasing  trade  in 
flour.  Even  at  present,  the  number  of  flour-mills  at  work  in  Oswego 
is  very  great.  I  was  credibly  informed  on  the  spot,  that  these  mills 
could,  and  often  did,  grind  9000  barrels  of  flour  per  day.  Indeed, 
it  appears  from  statistics  of  the  Oswego  mills,  prepared  for  a  forth- 
coming Gazette  of  the  State  of  New  York,  that  600,000  barrels  of 
flour  were  ground  at  the  mills  during  the  year  1848.  In  that  year 
thirteen  mills  were  in  operation ;  the  number,  at  the  time  of  my 
viait,  had  been  increased  to  sixteen. 

From  Oswego  the  steamer  proceeded  to  Sackett's  Harbour,  also  in 
the  State  of  New  York;  and  then  crossed  the  lake  to  the  town  of 
Kingston,  in  Canada  West.  My  stay  in  Kingston  being  limited  to 
the  two  hours  of  the  steamer's  detention  there,  I  had  no  opportunity 
of  doing  more  than  taking  a  very  general  survey  of  its  appearance, 


going  down 
^bo  occupied 
that  not  even 
3  in?  propriety 

heartily,  by 
whom  it  was 

)n  board  the 
speedily  un- 
ty  of  the  cur- 
es an  hour— 
The  scenery 
also  that  por- 
the  shades  of 
lly  noted  the 
s  remarkable 
foam  created 
led  to  me  to 
h  of  ordinary 
uddy-looking 
Dry,  and  ren- 
i  grateful  by 

lakes  of  the 
ng — is,  at  its 
dth  of  about 

3  town  or  vil- 
1  in  the  state 
it  improving 
itures,  badly 
iing  trade  in 
rk  in  Oswego 
it  these  mills 
ay.  Indeed, 
I  for  a  forth- 
)0  barrels  of 
In  that  year 
I  time  of  my 

rbour,  also  in 
the  town  of 
ig  limited  to 
>  opportunity 
}  appearance, 


THE  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


233 


so  that  my  report  may  be  summed  up  in  this : — That,  although  I 
had  the  same  fault  to  advance  against  the  general  paving  that  I  have 
stated  against  some  of  its  republican  neighbours,  and  to  complain 
that  some  of  the  trottoirs  or  side-walks  were  of  wood,  I  thought  King- 
ston, on  the  whole,  a  pleasantly  situated,  handsome-looking  place, 
having  somewhat  more  of  a  finished  town-like  appearance  than 
American  towns  of  the  same  size  generally  exhibit.  The  Town  Hall, 
in  connexion  with  which  is  the  Post  Ofl&ce,  a  massive  building,  and 
the  French  cathedral,  the  English  church,  and  some  other  public 
buildings,  have  some  pretensions  to  architectural  beauty. 

Kingston  stands  at  the  commencement  of  the  river  St.  Lawrence, 
which  forms  the  outlet  of  Lake  Ontario.  As  therefore  the  Niagara 
forms  the  feeder,  and  the  St.  Lawrence,  as  it  were,  the  waste-pipe,  of 
the  same  lake,  it  would  have  been  more  natural,  and  it  might  have 
been  as  well,  had  the  two  rivers,  or  rather  the  two  parts  of  the  same 
river,  been  called  by  the  same  name,  distinguishing  their  position  by 
the  terms  upper  and  lower.  But  it  were  too  late  to  try  to  change 
this  now.  It  were  difficult  to  name  any  two  rivers  in  the  world, 
naturally  connected  with  each  other,  with  which  such  an  experiment 
could  not  more  easily  be  made.  The  Falls  of  the  Niagara,  and  the 
Thousand  Islands  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  have  conferred  upon  each  of 
the  streams  in  which  these  celebrities  arc  to  be  seen,  a  reputation 
which  precludes  the  possibility  of  a  change  of  name  as  regards  either 
of  them. 

Beautiful  St.  Lawrence !  others  have  expressed  themselves  disap- 
pointed with  thee;  but  writing  only  as  I  found  and  felt,  and  without 
reference  to  the  impressions  even  of  more  gifted  travellers,  I  am 
constrained  to  confess  that,  in  no  part  of  my  wanderings  by  sea  or 
by  land — the  unapproachable  Niagara  alone  excepted — did  I  feel 
more  interest  and  excitement  than  I  did  when  sailing,  often  shooting, 
down  the  waters  of  thine  arrowy  steam.  The  variety  of  the  islands, 
which,^  although  named  The  Thousand,  are  said  to  be  in  reality  of 
much  larger  number;  the  racing  speed  at  which  the  river  runs,  with 
the  occasional  boiling  and  blustering  of  the  rapids,  and  the  also  oc- 
casional transition  from  narrows  to  lakes,  and  from  lakes  to  narrows 
again,  give  an  interest  and  a  variety  to  the  sail,  which  is  exceedingly 
pleasing.  True,  the  islands  are  none  of  them  high,  and  some  of 
them  are  covered  only  with  stunted  brushwood.  But  then  they  are 
in  constant  succession,  and  most  of  them  are  clothed  with  trees  of 
very  graceful  foliage.  True,  also,  thp,  river  has  lost  the  green  clear- 
ness it  possessed  when  it  passed  under  the  world-renowned  name  of 
the  Niagara,  or  while  its  waters  formed  part  of  the  waters  of  Lake 
Ontario,  and  it  has  now  assumed  a  browned  and  compai-atively  tur- 
gid aspect.  But  then  it  is  still  full  of  activity :  it  toils,  tosses,  and 
tumbles  like  a  thing  of  life.     Often  it  is  difficult  to  understand  what 

20» 


2U 


TUK  ST.  LAWRENCE. 


all  the  toil,  trouble,  and  turmoil  is  about.  Like  a  numerous  class  of 
would-be  politicians,  whose  characteristic  features  are  graphically 
touched  off  by  Wordsworth  in  the  line — 

"  Hurried  and  hun'yiiig,  volatile  and  loud," 

the  St.  Lawrence  seems  resolved  to  make  the  most  of  everything — 
to  make  a  vast  noise  and  bluster  as  well  without  as  when  there  is 
occasion,  and  to  keep  up  the  excitement  even  long  after  all  apparent 
cause  for  it  has  ceased. 

Shooting  the  rapids  I  Who  has  not  heard  of  the  Rapids  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  or  read  in  the  days  of  boyhood,  when  the  taste  for  the 
marvellous  is  keen,  of  the  danger  and  excitement  of  "shooting" 
them  ?  But  the  danger  may  fairly  be  considered  as  one  of  the  things 
passed  away.  The  excitement,  however,  still  remains.  And  it  was 
exciting  and  interesting  enough  to  feel  the  gigantic  steamer  steadying 
herself,  as  it  were,  before  entering  the  tossing  turbulent  waters  of 
the  Long  Sault  Rapids ;  aud  then  hurrying  along  and  down  through 
their  boiling  billows  with  the  speed  of  a  sea-bird.  In  shooting  these 
rapids  on  this  occasion,  the  steamer  had  to  pass  a  sailing  vessel  bound 
for  3Iontreal  or  Quebec,  which  was  going  down  at  the  same  time, 
and  for  a  while  it  seemed  as  if  a  collision  was  almost  inevitable. 
Both  vessels  required  to  keep  a  particular  channel,  where  the  rocks 
were  covered  by  the  greatest  depth  of  water,  which  channel  was  indi- 
cated by  the  particular  appearance  of  the  boiling  of  the  water.  But 
the  sailing-vessel  did  not  seem  to  "  answer  her  helm"  readily ;  and, 
had  not  the  steamer  done  so  very  sharply,  a  fearful  collision  must 
have  taken  place.  Indeed,  it  is  only  from  insufficiency  of  steering 
that  accidents  are  likely  to  occur,  and  the  very  rapidity  of  the 
r'  amer's  motion  gives  her  what  is,  I  believe,  technically  called  good 
b  erage-way.  At  all  events,  the  Indian  pilot  who  steered  the  steamer 
Lady  of  the  Lake  down  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  did  not  seem 
to  think  there  was  anything  of  danger  in  his  occupation  j  and  if  he 
was  not  one  of  the  best  judges  of  the  amouui  of  the  danger,  he  cer- 
tainly ought  to  have  been  so. 

The  jgroup  called  the  Thousand  Islands  commences  about  ten  miles 
below  Kingston,  and  extends  for  a  distance  of  upwards  of  fifty  miles ; 
and  the  wanderings  of  the  steamer  among  the  various  channels  seemed 
sometimes  strange  enough — creating  ofter  much  of  what  may  be 
termed  lake  scenery;  as  it  was  not  till  wc  seemed  to  be  almost  run- 
ning on  shore,  that  the  channel  through  which  we  were  to  pass 
opened  to  our  view.  An  hour  or  so  after  leaving  the  islands,  the 
Lady  of  the  Lake  shot  into  the  mouth  of  the  river  Oswegatchie,  and 
moored  at  the  harbour  of  the  town  of  Ogdensburg,  which  stands  at 
the  mouth  of  this  dark-coloured  stream  of  unpronounceable  name. 
As  the  American  steamer  British  Empire,  which  was  to  convey  me 


"Oh,  1 
wants  '. 

"Bi 
taste." 

"Y( 
rally  tl 
this  coi 
of  the 
tobaccc 

He 


ous  class  of 
graphically 


irerytlnng— 
hen  there  is 
all  apparent 

ipids  01  tho 
taste  for  the 

"  shooting" 
»f  the  things 

And  it  was 
er  steadying 
nt  waters  of 
)wn  through 
ooting  these 
vessel  bound 
3  same  time, 
b  inevitable, 
re  the  rocks 
ael  was  indi- 
tvatcr.  But 
tadily;  and, 
llision  must 

of  steering 
iity  of  the 

called  good 

the  steamer 

id  not  seem 
and  if  he 

ger,  he  cer- 

)ut  ten  miles 
fifty  miles ; 
tnels  seemed 
hat  may  be 
almost  run- 
ere  to  pass 
islands,  tho 
^atchie,  and 
sh  stands  at 
sable  name, 
convey  me 


OGDENSBURG. 


235 


onward  to  the  capital  of  Canada,  had  not  arrived,  and  waa  not  ex- 
pected for  some  hours,  I  devoted  the  time  so  gained  to  landing,  cross- 
ing the  long  wooden  bridge,  (on  which  I  observed  the  notice  so  usual 
on  such  structures  in  the  States,  prohibiting  carriages  from  passing 
quicker  than  at  a  walking  pace,  under  a  penalty  of  some  ten  or 
twenty  dollars,)  and  traversing  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  town 
of  Ogdensburg.  But,  although  I  think  it  is  by  such  wayside  visits 
to  comparatively  unvisited  places,  that  one  can  best  form  proper  no- 
tions of  ihe  general  progress  of  a  nation,  at  least  as  regards  their  in- 
ternal trade,  such  rambles  do  not  aflFcid  many  incidents  or  particulars 
for  description ;  and  the  only  note  of  Ogdensburg  I  find  in  my  daily 
mrmoranda,  is  to  the  effect  that  it  is  of  the  same  rough  business  cha- 
r  oter  with  some  of  the  other  minor  American  tr-^  ^  places  I  have 
already  described ;  that  a  large  trade  in  grain,  aL  lu  grinding  grain, 
is  carried  on  in  it ;  and  that  it  bears  many  indications  of  increasing 
Fealth  and  importance.  At  the  same  time,  and  although  there  are 
some  neat-looking  villas  to  be  seen  from  the  bridge,  cresting  the  lofty 
banks  of  the  stream  of  the  Indian  name,  Ogdensburg  does  not  as  yet 
boast  much  beauty  of  an  architectural  nature. 

When  describing  my  voyage  on  the  Mississippi,  I  had  occasion  to 
mention  the  prevalence  of  the  habit  of  chewing  and  its  many  un- 
pleasantnesses. When  in  a  shop  in  Ogdensburg,  I  had  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  extent  to  which  it  is  carried,  and  the  manner  in  which  it 
is  acquired,  by  the  juvenile  portion  of  the  community.  I  had  made 
a  small  purchase,  more  with  the  view  of  getting  into  conversation 
with  the  intelligent  looking  proprietor,  than  from  any  desire  for  the 
thing  bought;  and  finding  the  party  I  addressed  very  obliging,  and 
(on  my  at  once,  and  in  accordance  with  my  custom,  asking  him  to 
excuse  my  questions,  on  the  ground  of  my  being  an  entire  stranger,) 
very  communicative,  I  continued  my  conversation  with  him  as  to  tho 
trade  of  the  town,  which  he  represented  as  in  a  flourishing  condition. 
Whilo  I  was  talking,  two  or  three  well-dressed  boys  came  into  the 
shop  asking  for  some  sort  of  gum,  adding  to  it  a  name  I  had  not  be- 
fore heard ;  and  on  my  asking  the  1  ttle  purchaser  what  he  wanted, 
and  ofiering  to  get  some  of  it  for  him,  the  owner  of  the  shop  said, 
"  Oh,  never  mind,  sir,  he  wants  what  I  have  not  to  give  him — ho 


wants  Burgundy  pitch  to  chew." 

"  Burgundy  pitch  to  chew  I"  said  I — "  that 


taste. 


is  ap°uredly  a  strange 


"  Yes  it  is,"  said  my  friend  tho  storekeeper,  "but  that  is  gene- 
rally the  way  in  which  the  habit  of  chewing  is  at  first  acquired  in 
this  country.  They  begin  with  something  which  promotes  the  flow 
of  the  saliva,  and  then  gradually  come  on  to  the  weaker  kinds  of 
tobacco,  and  then  to  the  more  pungent." 

He  added  that  even  some  of  the  fairer  part  of  creation;  in  the 


23G 


MONTREAL. 


United  States,  occasionally  tried  the  first  part  of  the  process.  But 
this  last  statement  was,  I  trust,  a  scandal,  as  I  also  hope  is  Captain 
Marryat's  story  of  the  American  young  ladies  carrying  packages  of 
pig-tail  ornamented  with  ribbons  for  the  use  of  their  swains,  and  to 
promote  their  eloquence  when  they  flag  for  want  of  a  quid — of  which 
practice,  however,  I  certainly  never  saw  anything,  although  I  was  iu 
the  most  chewing  districts  of  America.  Indeed,  I  agree  with  an 
American  gentleman  I  lately  travelled  with  in  England,  that  it  is  to 
the  ladies  of  thj  United  States  that  we  must  look  for  the  banishment 
of  this  filthy  habit  of  chewing ;  and  I  also  cordially  concur  in  his  re- 
mark, that  I  cannot  conceive  of  one  of  the  fairy,  beauteous  girls,  of 
whom  I  saw  so  many  in  the  United  States  of  America,  permitting  a 
lover  disfigured  by  chewing  to  approach,  much  less — time  and  place 
convenient — to  kiss  her.  There  is  here  surely  a  kind  of  quid  pro 
quo,  which  is  anything  but  flattering  to  the  good  taste  of  the  ladies 
of  the  United  States. 

Opposite  Ogdensburg,  and  on  the  other  side  of  the  St.  Lawrence, 
stands  the  Canadian  town  of  Prcscott — a  steam  ferry-boat  plying 
between  the  two. 

Leaving  Ogdensburg  in  the  very  superior  steamer  called  the 
British  Empire,  we  touched  at  Prescott,  and  then  resumed  our 
voyage  down  the  spirited  waters  of  the  dancing  St.  Lawrence :  a 
mill  near  Prcscott  being  pointed  out  to  us,  in  passing,  as  the  scene 
of  a  rencontre  between  some  of  the  then  rebels  to  the  British  gov- 
ernment, and  the  then  Canadian  loyalists,  in  1837  or  1838,  when 
the  former  were  defeated,  and  their  leader  slain  on  the  spot — or 
taken  and  executed,  I  forget  which — and  a  few  hours  thereafter  we 
approached  and  passed  down  the  great  Sault  Rapid,  of  which  I 
have  already  written.  At  six  o'clock  P.  M.  of  the  same  day,  the 
steamer  reached  Lachline,  nine  miles  from  Montreal,  where,  like 
most  of  my  fellow-travellers,  I  took  the  railway  for  the  metropolis 
of  Canada — not  deeming  the  advantage  of  shooting  the  rapid  of 
Lachline  sufficient  inducement  to  lead  me  to  spend  a  night  on  board 
the  steamer,  or  in  the  village  on  shore. 

Arriving  at  Montreal,  I  took  up  my  temporary  abode  at  the  very 
excellent  hotel  of  Donnegana,  now  unfortunately  among  the  things 
that  have  been,  having  been  burnt  down  during  one  of  the  late 
unseemly  riots  ("for  it  were  folly  to  call  them  more)  of  which  Mon- 
treal has  been  tne  theatre. 

The  destruction  of  the  houses  of  parliament  at  Montreal,  by  fire, 
had  occurred  only  a  short  time  before  my  arrival ;  and  the  popular 
riots  at  New  York,  said  to  have  originated  in  the  disputes  between 
Mr.  Macready  and  Mr.  Forrest,  were  also  ef  Tecent  happening, 
and  the  two  divided  the  general  conversation  by  rail,  by  steam-boat, 
and  by  stage.     I  shall  have  a  little  to  say  on  both  subjects;  but  I 


MONTREAL. 


237 


>roccss.  But 
pe  is  Captain 
g  packages  of 
wains,  and  to 
lid — of  which 
mgh  I  was  in 
agree  with  an 
I,  that  it  is  to 
te  banishment 
icur  in  his  re- 
teous  girls,  of 
,  permitting  a 
ime  and  place 
of  quid  pro 
I  of  the  ladies 

3t.  Lawrence, 
y^-boat  plying 

er  called  the 

resumed  our 

Lawrence :  a 

,  as  the  scene 

3  British  gov- 

p  1838,  when 

the  spot — or 

thereafter  we 

d,  of  which  I 

amc  day,  the 

1,  where,  like 

he  metropolis 

the  rapid  of 

ight  on  board 

de  at  the  very 
ng  the  things 
ae  of  the  late 
f  which  Mon- 

itreal,  by  fire, 
1  the  popular 
")utes  between 
t  happening, 
>y  steam-boat, 
bjectS;  but  I 


shall  reserve  what  I  have  to  say  on  the  first  till  my  return  to  Mon- 
treal from  Quebec,  and  of  the  latter  till  I  shall  have  reached  New 
York. 

Montreal  disappointed,  while  it  pleased  and  surprised  me.  Tt 
disappointed  me  as  a  whole,  but  some  parts  of  it  gratified  while 
they  surprised  me.  I  expected  to  find  a  finer  town,  taking  it  alto- 
gether ;  but  I  was  unprepared  for  the  breadth  of  some  of  the  streets, 
and  the  symmetry  of  many  of  the  lines  of  buildings  occupied  by 
shops  and  counting-houses  in  the  new  town. 

The  Koman  Catholic  Cathedral  of  Montreal  is  generally  pointed 
out  to  the  visitor  as,  in  an  architectural  point  of  view,  the  most 
important  building  in  the  city ;  and  I  observe  that  a  late  writer 
has  said  that,  "  with  the  exception  of  that  in  Mexico,  it  is  the 
finest  ecclesiastical  edifice  on  the  (American)  continent."  But, 
without  professing  to  see  beauties  where  I  did  not  see  them,  I  can- 
not acquiesce  in  this  praise.  The  Catholic  Cathedral  of  Montreal 
is  a  large  building — so  large  as  to  be  capable  of  containing  about 
seven  thousand  worshippers ;  it  is  also  a  handsome  structure,  and 
has  a  noble  and  imposing  front ;  but  the  towers  or  turrets  which 
surmount  it  destroy  much  of  the  effect  it  would  otherwise  produce. 
They  are  much  too  thin  and  narrow  for  the  size  of  the  building. 
Indeed,  there  is  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  cathedral,  a  build- 
ing of  far  more  modest  pretensions,  which  I  would  venture  to  pre- 
fer to  it,  in  so  far  as  symmetry,  proportion,  and  keeping  are 
concerned.  I  mean  the  building  occupied  as  the  Montreal  Bank, 
which  I  admired  very  greatly,  and  which,  recording  my  own  im- 
pressions, and  uninfluenced  by  those  of  any  one  else,  I  characterize 
as  the  chastest  of  all  the  architectural  beauties  of  the  capital  of 
the  Canadas.  The  building  at  present  used  as  a  market-place,  but 
which  there  was  some  talk  of  having  converted  into  Houses  of 
Assembly  for  the  Legislature,  in  room  of  those  destroyed  by  fire, 
(which  do  not  seem  to  have  been  either  handsome  or  favourably 
situated,)  is  also  a  handsome  massive  stone  building,  end  beauti- 
fully situated,  facing  the  river. 

The  best  general  view  of  Montreal  is  to  be  obtained  from  the 
hill  above  the  town,  and  by  taking  a  drive  r:  und  it.  It  is  termed 
par  excellence  the  Mountain,  and  it  affords,  i  was  told,  a  very  ex- 
tensive and  delightful  view.  Bu  j  I  can  only  speak  of  it,  and 
recommend  it,  on  the  report  of  others,  as  the  weather  and  other 
causes  of  interruption  disappointed  my  oft-formed  expectations  of 
being  able  to  visit  it. 

Leaving  Montreal  at  night,  a  sail  of  about  twelve  hours  brings 
you  to  Quebec,  although  the  distance  is  nearly  two  hundred  miles. 
Quebec  has  been  called  the  Gibraltar  of  the  new  world.  Never 
having  seen  the  latter,  I  cannot  say  anything,  pro  or  con,  as  to  the 


238 


QUEBEC. 


sufficiency  of  the  resemblance ;  but  most  undoubteclly  Quebec  cita- 
del is  a  very  strong  place,  and,  defended  by  a  British  force,  I  should 
think  it  impregnable.  It  reminded  me  somewhat  of  the  castle  of 
Stirling  in  Scotland,  near  which  some  of  the  years  of  my  boyhood 
were  t.pent :  for  although  Quebec  is  stronger,  and  is  washed  on  one 
side  by  the  broad  deep  waters  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  and  thus  differs 
from  Sterling,  there  is  a  general  resemblance  in  the  rocks  on  which 
the  two  citadels  are  built,  and  also  in  the  neighbouring  heights  by 
which  they  are  severally  surrounded. 

The  lions  of  Quebec  and  its  neighbourhood  are,  the  citadel,  to 
which  access  is  to  be  had  by  ticket  on  application — the  Heights  of 
Abraham,  and  the  spot  where  the  gallant  Wolfe  fell — the  plains  of 
Abraham — the  monument  to  Wolfe  and  Montcalm,  (a  monument 
in  its  design,  if  not  in  its  execution,  one  of  the  most  pleasing  ever 
reared  to  departed  worth ;  for  what  can  be  more  noble,  or  more 
proper,  than  that  the  differences  and  contests  of  this  world  should 
not  overleap  the  grave  ?)  and,  in  the  neighbourhood,  the  Falls  of  the 
Montmorenci — the  Indian  lorcttc  or  village,  and  three  lakes  (Cal- 
vaire,  St.  Charles,  and  Beaupori)  at  some  distance.  Of  these  the 
reader  will  here  only  be  troubled  with  some  account  of  the  Falls  of 
the  Montmorenci,  and  the  natural  steps  on  that  river. 

With  Niagara  fresh  in  my  recollection,  and  treasuring  the  memory 
of  it  as  a  never-dying  reminiscence,  I  confess  that  it  was  with  some 
surprise  even  to  myself  that  I  so  much  enjoyed  the  Falls  of  the 
Montmorenci.  I  will  not  attempt  to  analyse,  much  less  to  justify  the 
feeling,  farther  than  by  saying  that  I  always  doubt  the  capability 
truly  to  enjoy  fine  scenery  of  that  man  who,  even  when  in  the  midst 
of  a  scene  which  possesses  any  of  the  elements  of  beauty  or  of  grand- 
cur,  can  find  heart  to  compare  it,  in  a  critical  way,  with  any  other 
scene  of  which  he  may  have  been  an  observer.  Nature  is  free,  and 
rich  as  free.  She  derides  the  critic's  narrow  view.  She  revels  in 
variety — ever  varied,  ever  new.  Thus  it  is  that  every  scene  of 
nature's  forming  has  beauties  peculiar  to  itself — beauties  which  other 
scenes  may  rival  and  exceed,  but  which  they  cannot  exactly  parallel ; 
and  I  confess  it  always  raises  my  bile  to  have  my  feelings,  on  being 
privileged  to  witness  a  really  grand  and  picturesque  view,  outraged 
by  overhearing  some  such  remarks  as  this — "It  is  very  beiutiful, 

but  nothing  to  the  Falls  of ."     On  one  occasion,  and  when 

viewing  the  Falls  of  Niagara,  there  was  obtruded  on  me,  and  by  a 
fellow-countryman  too,  the  remark — "  What  do  you  think  of  the 
Falls  of  Clyde  now  ?  "  I  had  a  personal  friendship  for  the  man,  but 
I  could  have  knocked  him  down  at  the  time,  for  the  total  absence 
of  scenic  perception  which  his  observation  displayed ;  while  I  simply 


THE  MONTMORENCI. 


239 


Quebec  cita- 
)rco,  I  should 
the  castle  of 
my  boyhood 
ashed  on  one 
d  thus  differs 
(cks  on  which 
ig  heights  by 

:he  citadel,  to 
le  Heights  of 
-the  plains  of 
(a  monument 
pleasing  ever 
ble,  or  more 
world  should 
e  Fulls  of  the 
e  lakes  (Cal- 
Of  these  the 
F  the  Falls  of 

5  the  memory 
fas  with  some 
5  Falls  of  the 
to  justify  the 
he  capability 
L  iu  the  midst 
y  or  of  grand- 
ith  any  other 
I  is  free,  and 
She  revels  iu 
rery  scene  of 
IS  which  other 
ictly  parallel; 
ngs,  on  being 
iew,  outraged 
ery  beautiful, 
n,  and  when 
me,  and  by  a 
think  of  the 
the  man,  but 
total  absence 
rhile  I  simply 


responded,  "  As  much  or  more  than  I  ever  did," — at  the  same  time 
increasing  the  disfauce  between  us,  so  that  I  might  not  be  further 
interrupted  by  any  of  his  intrusions. 

The  Fall  of  the  Montmorenci  is  into  a  bay,  at  which  it  joins  the 
river  St.  Lawrence,  and  over  an  almost  perpendicular  rock  of  above 
two  hundred  and  fifty  feet  high.  In  falling  over  such  a  precipice,  it 
is  needless  to  say  that  the  waters  of  the  river  are  driven  into  flakes 
of  foam  J  or  that  these  flakes,  again  rising,  partially  in  the  shape  of 
spray,  form  clouds  which,  assuming  the  prismatic  colours,  give  great 
beauty  to  the  scenci.  The  river,  at  the  point  whence  it  is  precipitated 
into  the  abyss  belo'v,  is  fully  a  hundred  feet  broad ;  and  the  basin 
into  which  the  agitated,  convulsed  waters  are  received,  is  bounded 
by  steep  cliffs  of  upwards  of  three  hundred  feet  in  perpendicular 
height.  It  is  a  scene  of  rich  and  rare  magnificence,  and,  like  all 
such,  mere  description  is  tame  to  give  an  adequate  idea  of  the  emo- 
tions it  excites. 

Leaving  the  ftills,  a  walk  of  some  two  miles  through  the  fields, 
and  in  a  direction  upwards,  along  the  course  of  the  river  Montmo- 
renci, brings  you  to  what  is  called  "  the  Natural  Steps,"  or,  as  they 
might  be  more  appropriately  termed,  the  Rapids  of  the  Montmorenci. 
Here,  for  about  three  hundred  yards,  the  pent-up  river  rolls  in  foam ; 
and,  dashing  itself  against  opposi  g  barriers  of  sandstone  rock, 
through  the  main  body  of  which  it  has,  in  course  of  ages,  worked 
its  way,  (so  as  to  create  that  appearance  of  steps  which  has  given  a 
name  to  the  scene,)  spouts  up,  when  the  opposing  obstacle  has  proved 
insurmountable,  at  least  for  the  time,  in  flukes  of  foam,  only  to  fall 
back  again,  and  to  take  another  direction  for  its  exit.  The  term 
picturesque  is,  beyond  question,  the  epithet  that  may  be  most  cor- 
rectly applied  to  such  a  scene.  The  banks  of  the  river  are  through- 
out thickly  clothed  with  trees ;  and  their  effect,  combined  with  the 
foaming  current  and  the  scattered  masses  of  sandstone  rock,  com- 
pose a  scene  to  which  the  words  wild  and  picturesque  with  much 
propriety  apply. 

lleturning  from  the  Falls  of  the  Montmorenci,  after  paying  a  visit 
to  the  Indian  village,  I  was  much  struck  with  the  view  thus  to  bo 
had  of  Quebec,  with  the  tin  roofs  of  many  of  the  houses  sparkling  in 
the  beams  of  a  summer  sun ;  and  the  pleasure  of  the  return  was 
enhanced  by  the  accidental  meeting  with  a  reverend  friend  from  Scot- 
land, whom  I  had  last  seen  in  my  native  country,  at  a  distance  of 
some  three  thousand  miles. 

Having  bade  a  long  farewell  to  Quebec  and  its  many  beauties  and 
celebrities,  I  returned,  by  the  same  route  by  which  I  had  come,  to 
the  city  of  Montreal,  and  spent  other  two  days  in  an  endeavour  to 
appreciate  its  scenic  peculiarities,  as  well  as  in  an  attempt  to  ascer- 
tain the  feelings  which  animated  the  mass  of  its  sixty  thousand 


240 


CANADIAN  AFFAIRS. 


inhabitants  in  regard  to  recent  events.  This,  therefore,  seems  the 
proper  place  for  introducing  the  few  notes  I  made  of  my  observations 
on  the  latter  subject,  which  is  at  present  an  important  one  in  relation 
to  this  extensive  and  valuable  colonial  possession  of  Great  Britain. 

CANADA,  AND  CANADIAN  AFFAIRS. 

That  the  Canadians,  from  being  the  most  loyal  among  the  loyal, 
should  become  so  disturbed  and  disloyal,  apparently  all  of  a  sudden  j 
and  that  the  dissatisfaction  should  chiefly,  if  not  solely,  prevail 
amongst  that  party  who,  in  1837  and  1838,  displayed  so  energeti- 
cally their  attachment  to  Great  Britain,  in  vigorously  putting  down 
the  insurrection  then  attcmped,  are  two  facts  which,  at  first  sight  at 
least,  struck  me  as  eeemingly  anomalous.     Nevertheless,  they  are 
facts  which  are  capable  of  being  easily  explained  :  the  union  of  the 
two  provinces  of  Upper  and  Lower  Canada  furnishes  the  explanation 
of  the  whole.     That  union  was  carried  through,  in  accordance  with 
tlie  report  published  under  the  signature  of  Lord  Durham.    Into  the 
vexed  question  of  whether  it  was  entitled,  in  very  truth,  to  i^e 
regarded  as  a  fair  exposition  of  the  views  of  the  talented  nobleman 
whose  name  it  bore,  or  whether  the  proposition  for  a  union  of  the 
provinces  was  one  that  would  have  received  his  continued  support, 
had  he  lived,  in  unimpaired  mental  vigour,  to  see  the  experiment 
tried,  it  wo'e  idle  now  to  inquire.     The  union  was  carried,  and  it 
has  worked  very  ill.     As  to  that^  all  parties  are  agreed.     But  why 
so  ?     Simply  because  that,  whatever  were  the  relative  proportions  of 
the  two  parties,  as  actively  engaged  in  the  disturbances  of  1837  and 
1838,  the  party  with  wLr'ch  the  then  disloyal  were  connected,  and 
by  whom  they  were  politically  supported,  was  numerically  stronger 
than  the  party  of  the  loyal.      Hence  the  former  acquired  in  the 
united  legislrture  a  political  majority,  which  enabled  them  to  do 
whatever  the  possession  of  such  a  majority  entitled  them  to  do.   Nor 
were  they  slow  to  take  advantage  of  the  power,  the  constitutional 
power,  of  which  they  thus  found  themselves  in  the  possession.     Not 
to  occupy  time,  by  detailing  matters  familiar  to  most  readers,  the 
result  of  the  union  of  the  two  Canadas  into  one  province,  was  to 
place  the  disaffected  party  of  1837  and  1838  in  power,  and  to  oust 
therefrom  the  party  by  which  the  British  rule  and  government  had 
then  been  supported.     While  Messrs.    Papineau,  Lafoutaine,  and 
their  friends,  (who  in  1837  had  incited  the  people  to  appear  with 
artillery  and  muskets  at  meetings  called  for  the  real,  if  not  tho 
avowed,  object  of  overturning  the  British  rule,)  stepped  or  were 
hoisted  into  power, — Sir  Allan  M'Nab  and  the  rest  of  the  royalists, 
who  had  so  couragfously  suppressed  the  would-be  rebellion  at  much 
risk,  inconvenience,  and  pecuniary  sacrifice,  found  themselves  dis- 


CANADIAN  AFFAIRS. 


241 


re,  seems  the 
J  observations 
»ne  in  relation 
eat  Britain. 


ang  the  loyal, 
of  a  sudden ; 
lolely,  prevail 
d  so  energeti- 
putting  down 
t  first  sight  at 
less,  they  are 
5  union  of  the 
le  explanation 
icordance  with 
lam.    Into  the 
truth,  to  K.e 
ted  nobleman 
I  union  of  the 
nued  support, 
le  experiment 
carried,  and  it 
ed.     But  why 
proportions  of 
3  of  1837  and 
onnected,  and 
ically  stronger 
iquired  in  the 
I  them  to  do 
sm  to  do.    Nor 
constitutional 
sscssion.     Not 
5t  readers,  the 
•ovince,  was  to 
er,  and  to  oust 
)vcrnment  had 
afoutaino,  and 
to  appear  with 
2al,  if  not  the 
eppcd  or  were 
'  the  royalists, 
cllion  at  much 
icmselves  dis- 


placed and  in  a  minority.  Such  a  state  of  matters  was  in  itself 
calculated  to  excite  feelings  of  the  strongest  discontent  in  the  minds 
of  the  British  party  in  Canada,  and  they  were  not  allowed  to  calm 
down  even  into  a  sort  of  acquiescence.  They  were  kept  fully  alive 
by  the  successful  attempt  of  M.  Papineau  to  claim  his  salary  as  speaker 
of  the  Lower  House,  for  the  period  during  which  he  was  absent  from 
the  colony,  if  not  for  the  purpose,  at  least  to  the  effect,  of  avoiding 
being  brought  to  trial  for  his  participation  in  the  disturbances  of 
1837  and  1838 ;  and  by  other  measures  of  a  similar  character,  (in- 
cluding all  the  public  appointments,)  until  the  matter  was  brought 
to  a  climax  by  the  passing  of  the  bill  for  the  indemnification  of  parties 
who  had  suffered  loss  through,  or  in  the  course  of,  the  disturbances 
which  had  been  so  successfully  suppressed.  So  far  as  the  letter  of 
that  act  goes,  it  certainly  might  be  so  read  as  not  necessarily  to  lead 
to  the  consequences  anticipated  by  the  British  party  in  their  opposi- 
tion to  it.  But  they  well  knew  what  was  meant,  and  what  it  would 
unavoidably  lead  toj  and,  despite  the  express  declaration  of  the 
speaker  of  the  legislative  council,  and  of  other  officials  of  the  colonial 
ministry,  the  view  universally  taken  of  the  Indemnity  Bill  was  and 
is,  that  its  purpose  is  to  pay  the  rebels  who  were  in  arms  against  the 
British  government  in  1837  and  1838  for  their  alleged  losses  in  the 
course  of  the  insurrection.  It  is  this,  or  rather  the  Governor's  giving 
the  royal  assent  to  that  bill,  that  has  brought  to  a  climax  the  ft3lings 
of  the  party  who  supported  and  maintained  the  British  connexion  in 
1837  and  1838.  They  think  themselves  trampled  upon,  and  that 
their  feelings  have  been  outraged ;  and  prejudice  itself  must  admit 
that  they  have  some  grounds  for  so  thinking. 

No  doubt  the  British  Government,  having  ventured  on  a  scheme 
of  conciliation,  might  be  expected  to  give  it  a  faiv  trial.  No  doubt 
also,  a  union  of  the  provinces  having  been  carried,  it  was  to  be  ex- 
pected that,  as  a  general  rule,  the  home  government  would  be  pre- 
pared to  sanction  whatever  measures  might  be  approved  of  by  the 
majority  of  the  colonial  legislature  of  the  united  provinces.  But  this 
was  an  extreme  application  of  these  principles.  To  make  no  provi- 
sion for  the  reward  of  those  by  whom,  and  through  whose  loyal  ef- 
forts, the  insurrection  of  1837  and  1838  had  been  so  easily  repressed^ 
and  yet  to  sanction  a  bill  for  the  indemnification  of  those  whoso  suf- 
ferings, if  they  did  suffer,"  were  caused  by  their  rising  in  arms  against 
the  British  rule — it  is  to  be  questioned  whether  a  more  extraordi- 
nary piece  of  legislation  is  to  be  found  in  the  whole  history  of  the 
past.  Our  friends  and  kindred  in  the  American  republic  boast  of 
the  liberality  of  their  government,  and  government  measures ;  they 
would  find  it  difficult  to  parallel  this  conduct  of  Great  Britain,  in 
thus  "  heaping  coals  of  fire"  on  the  heads  of  its  most  determined 
enemies.   The  object,  no  doubt,  was  to  turn  these  parties  into  friends, 

21 


242 


CANADIAN  AFFAIRS. 


and,  to  appearance  at  least,  it  succeeded.  The  rebels  of  1837  and 
1838  are  the  loyalists  of  1849  and  1850.  But  is  this  attachment 
to  British  rule  more  than  seeming  ?  Bought  loyalty  is  generally  but 
lip  loyalty ;  and  were  it  not  that  the  party  in  Canada  who  at  present 
have  a  majority  in  its  legislative  assemblies,  possess  the  strongest  of 
all  interests  to  maintain  the  connection  with  England,  and  resist  an- 
nexation to  the  United  States,  I  confess  I  would  fear  much  for  the 
permanency  of  its  devotion.  But  the  party  referred  to  have  the  very 
strongest  of  all  possible  interests  to  prefer  the  English  to  the  repub- 
lican connection ;  for,  if  a  visitor  to  the  states  of  the  Union  and  to 
Canada  sees  one  thing  more  clearly  in  the  whole  matter  than  another, 
it  is  this,  that  the  preponderance,  if  not  the  very  existence  of  the 
present  dominant  party,  depends  on  the  exclusion  from  Canada  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon  race  and  Anglo-Saxon  principles  that  prevail  in  the 
neighbouring  republic.  Assuredly,  if  it  should  ever  happen  that 
Canada  is  annexed  to  the  United  States,  the  hour  that  dates  the  con- 
nection dates  also  the  downfall  of  the  party  that  prer'-ntly  have  the 
rule  in  the  Canadian  provinces.  Whatever  Messrs.  Jjafontaine  and 
others  may  be,  or  may  think  themselves  to  be,  whci:  under  the  pro- 
tection of  the  heavy  power  and  outstretched  wings  of  England,  they 
will  find  their  glory  departed  if  ever  England  permits  them  to  fall 
into  the  iron  grip  of  Brother  Jonathan.  It  was  the  fashion  in  1849, 
and  it  is  probably  the  fashion  still,  to  speak  there,  as  here,  of  there 
being  a  war  of  races  at  present  going  on  in  Canada.  This  mode  of 
speaking  is  scarcely  correct.  The  dominance  of  British  power,  and 
its  principles  of  Tros  Tyriusve — of  giving  equal  protection  to  all — 
prevents  any  such  conflict;  nay,  had  the  two  Canadas  only  been 
kept  asunder — had  they  not  been  brought  into  political,  in  addition 
to  topical  juxtaposition,  it  is  the  opinion  of  many  persons  intimately 
acquainted  with  their  history,  that  the  two  races  which  inhabit  them 
would  have  gradually  blended  into  each  other,  so  as  to  leave  little 
trace  of  their  separate  existence.  But  should  British  connection  be 
exchanged  for  the  rule  and  domination  of  the  American  republic, 
there  will  then  be  no  doubt  of  the  propriety  of  the  phrase  "  conflict 
of  races,"  as  applicable  to  the  state  of  things  that  will  then  exhibit 
themselves  ;  while  there  will  be  as  little  doubt  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  such  conflict  will  eventuate.  If,  as  a  professional  gentleman 
in  Montreal,  who  was  taking  a  very  active  part  in  the  annexation 
movement,  expressed  himself  when  I  was  discussing  the  matter  with 
him — if,  unfortunately,  the  afixiir  should  ever  come  to  the  arbitra- 
ment of  the  musket,  the  French  party  in  Canada  will  raise  it  in  de- 
fence of  the  British  connection  j  but  it  will  be  the  interest  of  self- 
preservation,  and  not  a  real  love  of  England,  that  will  influence  theui 
in  so  doing. 

No  doubt  strong  efforts  are  now  making  by  the  repeal  party,  in 


,f  1837  and 
attachment 
;enerally  but 
10  at  present 
strongest  of 
nd  resist  an- 
ttuch  for  the 
lave  the  very 
to  the  repub- 
Jnion  and  to 
ihan  another, 
tence  of  the 
;anada  of  the 
reyail  in  the 
happen  that 
lates  the  con- 
ntly  have  the 
tfontaine  and 
■ider  the  pro- 
ilnglond,  they 
}  them  to  fall 
hioninl849, 
lere,  of  there 
This  mode  of 
sh  power,  and 
3tion  to  all — 
as  only  been 
1,  in  addition 
ns  intimately 
inhabit  them 
to  leave  little 
connection  be 
lean  republic, 
rase  "  conflict 
then  exhibit 
le  manner  in 
al  gentleman 
e  annexation 
)  matter  with 
the  arbitra- 
■aise  it  in  de- 
icrest  of  self- 
afluenco  them 

)eal  party,  in 


CANADIAN  AFFAIRS. 


243 


their  vain  attempt  to  promote  what  is  called  "  peaceful  annexation," 
to  win  over  French  Canadians  to  the  cause.  But  their  success,  hith- 
erto, has  been  but  slight.  At  an  annexation  meeting,  organized  and 
"  got  up"  at  Stanstead  Plain,  close  to  the  United  States'  line,  and  in 
a  neighbourhood  where  there  are  many  parties  born  in,  or  connected 
with  the  republic  of  North  America,  only  some  twenty  or  thirty 
responded  to  the  call.  The  parties  who  arranged  the  aflFair  afterwards 
resorted  to  the  common  expedient  of  concocting  a  paper  of  grievances, 
with  a  suggestion  of  "  peaceful  annexation"  as  the  cure.  This  paper 
was  hawked  about  for  signature,  and  it  is  said  that,  by  "  hook  or 
crook,"  some  six  hundred  were  induced  to  subscribe  their  names  to 
it.  So  say  the  Canadian  papers  on  both  sides ;  and  it  will  give  the 
reader  some  notion  of  how  far  he  can  safely  trust  to  the  accuracy  of 
the  statements  of  some  portions  of  the  republican  press  on  this,  to 
them,  tempting  subject  of  Canadian  disturbances,  to  be  informed 
that,  several  of  the  New  York  papers,  in  commenting  on  this  docu- 
ment, asserted  that  the  signatures  appended  to  it  amounted  to  twelve 
thousand ! ! 

The  fact  to  which  I  have  thus  referred  is,  indeed,  the  main  distinc- 
tion between  the  discontents  of  1837  and  those  of  1849.  The  former 
took  up  arms  against  the  British  government  in  1837,  because  they 
disliked  England  and  English  connection,  influence,  and  rule ;  they 
defend  it  in  1849,  because  it  is  their  interest  and  their  safety  so  to 
do.  The  latter  complain  bitterly,  and  they  made  their  complaints 
visible  by  disturbance  and  riot  in  1849,  because  they  found  their 
loyalty  unrequited,  their  attachment  spurned,  and  the  disloyal  whom 
they  had  overcome,  preferred  to  influence,  power,  and  emolument. 

True  it  is,  that  the  force  brought  out  in  1849  to  quell  the  riot 
at  which  the  houses  of  parliament  in  Montreal  were  burned  down, 
saw  among  the  individuals  they  were  required  to  disperse  or  to  ap- 
prehend, men  who  fought  by  their  side  in  1837,  and  this  without 
a  change  of  service  on  the  one  side,  or  of  sentiment  on  the  other. 
Surely  the  existence  of  such  things  prove  that  there  is  something 
wrong  in  the  mode  of  governing  Canada.  Surely  such  things 
ought  not  to  be. 

Inquiries  when  in  Canada,  and  attention  paid  to  Canadian  af- 
fairs since  my  return  to  this  country,  lead  me  to  the  conclusion, 
that  the  state  of  the  public  mind  in  Canada,  although  very  un- 
settled, is  yet  so  undetermined  as  to  any  particular  line  of  conduct, 
that  everything  now  depends  upon  the  course  that  may  be  pursued 
by  the  legislature  of  England. 

My  visit  to  Montreal  was  made  immediately  after  the  burning 
of  the  building  in  which  the  two  houses  of  parliament  held  their 
sittings,  and  which,  unfortunately,  included  the  valuable  libraries 
and  archives  of  the  province.     As  a  matter  of  course,  both  parties 


244 


CANADIAN  AFFAIRS. 


deplored  the  Vandal-like  act,  while  they  ascribed  it  to  diflferent 
causes :  one  party  alleging  accident,  the  other  incendiarism.  But 
all  agreed  in  this,  that  the  riot  had  been  greatly  exaggerated,  both 
in  American  and  in  European  newspapers.  Judging  from  details 
heard  on  the  spot,  the  opera-house  riot  of  New  York  in  1849  was 
infinitely  more  serious  than  the  so-called  Montreal  insurrection  of 
the  same  year.  Indeed,  the  latter  seems,  in  its  origin  and  nature, 
to  have  been  more  liLa  the  disgraceful,  but  fortunately  short-lived, 
riots  in  Glasgow  and  Edinburgh  in  1848.  The  consequences, 
however,  of  the  Montreal  disturbance  were  more  serious.  The 
library  of  the  legislative  assemblies,  containing  a  numerous  and 
valuable  collection  of  books  and  the  archives  of  the  province,  was 
totally  destroyed ;  and  by  this  heathenish  act  an  irreparable  loss 
was  sustained,  not  by  Canada  or  Great  Britain  alone,  but  by  the 
whole  civilized  world.  Of  all  destructive  actions  the  wanton  de- 
struction of  literary  proyerty  is  the  most  indefensible.  I  think  I 
never  felt  ashamed  of  my  countrymen  but  once,  and  that  was 
when,  at  the  Capitol  of  Washington,  an  American  friend  drew  my 
attention  to  the  tokens  which  yet  remain  of  the  burning  of  the 
iibrsry  there,  by  some  British  troops  under  General  Ross  in  1814. 
There  is  no  proper  excuse  for  such  acts,  even  in  warfare.  The 
only  apology  is  the  expression  of  a  hope  that  it  was  more  the 
result  of  accident  than  of  design ;  and  that  the  person  in  command 
cannot  be  fairly  made  responsible  for  the  indivi  lual  acts  of  his  sol- 
diers, when  out  of  the  sight  of  himself  and  his  subordinate  offi- 
cers, and  excited  by  opposition,  or  by  the  license  engendered  by 
success. 

But  to  return  to  Canada.  It  seemed  strange  that,  neither  on  one 
side  of  the  boundary  line  nor  on  the  other,  did  one  hear  half  so 
much  about  American  annexation  as  we  do  daily  in  Great  Britain. 
Neither  in  the  States  nor  in  Canada  was  it  much  spoken  of  in  May 
and  June  1849.  In  the  States,  so  little  was  said  about  it,  that  it 
appeared  either  as  if  the  recent  questionable  annexation  of  Texas, 
and  acquisition  of  California,  from  the  weaker  sister  republic  of 
Mexico,  had  satisfied  the  American  thirst  for  territorial  aggrandise- 
ment; or  that  American  statesmen  had  learned  the  lesson  that  a 
smaller  territory,  well  cemented  and  more  united,  were  better  than  a 
vaster  union  of  more  heterogeneous  materials.  It  was,  therefore, 
with  some  surprise  that  I  shortly  afterwards  perused  the  Vermont 
manifesto  in  favour  of  peaceable  annexation.  The  resolutions  of  the 
Vermont  legislature,  on  this  subject  of  the  annexation  of  Canada  to 
the  United  States,  are  interesting,  solely  because  they  aid  at  least  in 
arriving  at  a  right  estimate  of  the  feelings  prevailing  on  the  subject 
in  that  part  of  the  republic  which  marches  with  and  borders  on  the 
British  possessions.    These  resolutions  proceed  on  the  narrative,  that 


CANADIAN  AFFAIRS. 


245 


to  diflferent 
arism.     But 
rerated,  both 
from  details 
in  1849  was 
surrection  of 
L  and  nature, 
57^  short-lived, 
onsequences, 
erious.     The 
amerous  and 
province,  was 
eparable  loss 
e,  but  by  the 
e  wanton  de- 
e.     I  think  I 
md  that  was 
end  drew  my 
irning  of  the 
[loss  in  1814. 
warfare.     The 
ras  more  the 
I  in  command 
cts  of  his  sol- 
)ordinate  offi- 
igendered  by 

leither  on  one 

hear  half  so 

ilreat  Britain. 

en  of  in  May 

)ut  it,  that  it 

ion  of  Texas, 

ir  republic  of 

d  aggrandise- 

lesson  that  a 

better  than  a 

as,  therefore, 

tbe  Vermont 

lutions  of  the 

of  Canada  to 

lid  at  least  in 

n  the  subject 

irders  on  the 

larrative,  that 


the  original  articles  of  the  American  Confederation  contemplated  the 
admission  of  Canada  into  the  Uniun ;  that  the  state  of  feeling  in 
Canada  indicates  a  desire  for  such  union,  and  "  therefore"  the  State 
of  Vermont  resolve  that  it  is  desirable  to  effect  such  union,  "  with- 
out a  violation,  on  the  part  of  the  United  States,  of  the  amicable 
relations  existing  with  the  British  Government,  or  the  law  of  na- 
tions."    The  second  "  resolution"  is  in  accordance  with  this  general 
principle,  being  in  these  terms, — "  Resolved,  That  the  peaceful  annex- 
ation of  Canada  to   the   United  States,  with  the  consent  of  the 
British  Government  and  of  the  people  of  Canada,  and  upon  just  and 
honourable  terms,  is  an  object  in  the  highest  degree  desirable  to  the 
people  of  the  United  States."     These  words  are  all  fair  enough ; 
what  they  really  mean — whether  the  profession  of  a  desire  for  peace- 
ful annexation   be  not  a  mere  tribute  at  present  paid  to  British 
power,  and  whether  there  be  any  probability  of  annexation  taking 
place  with  "the  consent  of  the  British  Government  and  of  the 
people  of  Canada,  and  upon  just  and  honourable  terms" — time  will 
show.     For  the  present,  the  speech  of  the  British  minister  must 
have  somewhat  staggered  the  believers  in  the  possibility  of  such  an 
event.     However,  the  State  of  Vermont — and  also  the  State  of  New 
York,  which  has  since  followed  the  example  Vermont  set  her — have 
an  interest  in  the  matter  peculiar  to  themselves — an  interest  sepa- 
rate and  independent  from  that  of  the  other  states  of  the  American 
Union,  (save  perhaps  Maine  and  New  Hampshire,)  and  one  in  which 
these  other  states,  or  at  all  events  the  Southern  States,  are  not  at  all 
likely  to  sympathise.     Their  immediate  juxta-position  to   Canada 
East,  and  their  division  therefrom  by  a  little  more  than  imaginary 
boundary,  creates  the  interest,  and  renders  it  very  natural  that  they 
at  least  should  desire  that  their  fertile  neighbour  should  become  a 
member  of  the  same  confederation  with  themselves.    But  the  advan- 
tage to  the  states  removed  from  the  Canadian  border  it  is  more  diffi- 
cult to  see.     Indeed,  it  would  be  easy  to  show  that,  while  the  inte- 
rest of  the  Southern  States — Virginia,  the  Carolinas,  Georgia,  Ala- 
bama, Mississippi,  Louisiana,  &c. — is  decidedly  adverse,  none  of  the 
states,  save  those  which  touch  on  the  Canadian  border,  have  any 
interest  at  all  in  the  matter  which  is  favourable  to  annexation.    But 
my  business  here  is  more  properly  with  Canadian  than  with  United 
States'  affairs.     Contenting  myself,  therefore,  with  the  remark  that, 
whatever  other  effects  Canadian  annexation  might  possibly  have  on 
American  destinies,  it  would  give  the  non-slaveholding  interest  such 
an  overwhelming  majority  in  the  United  States  Congress  as  would 
greatly  hasten,  if  it  did  not  precipitate,  the  overthrow  of  the  system 
of  slavery  throughout  the  whole  of  the  continent  of  North  America ; 
I  proceed  to  say,  that  while,  from  this  absence  of  much  general  ac- 
knowledgment of  the  likelihood  of  annexation  with  the  States,  one  is 

21* 


246 


CANADIAN  AFFAIRS. 


apt  to  consider  the  chance  of  such  an  event  as  one  beyond  the  limits 
of  reasonable  calculation :  still,  on  more  minute  inquiry,  you  are  led 
to  consider  it  not  so  very  impossible,  only  the  British  Government 
persist  in  their  present  system  of  colonial  mismanagement.  It  was 
an  observation  made  to  myself  by  a  professional  gentleman  in  Mon- 
treal, who  had  been  my  school-fellow  in  Scotland,  and  who  has, 
since  the  conversation  referred  to,  taken  an  active  part  in  the  move- 
ment, that  he  never  contemplated  any  measure  with  more  reluctance 
than  he  did  a  separation  between  England  and  Canada,  and  that  he 
would  only  advocate  it  from  a  conviction  that  the  Canadians,  and 
their  wants  and  wishes,  never  would  be  properly  understood  or  legis- 
lated on  in  the  mother  country,  or  at  least  at  the  Colonial  Office. 
Such  views  are  general  amongst  men  of  influence,  education,  and 
talent  in  Canada;  and  the  men  who  entertain  them  are  men  not  to 
be  put  down  by  the  sic  volo  sicjuheo  of  a  Colonial  Secretary.  These 
parties  unite  in  acknowledging  that  the  Canadas  have  been  very 
grossly  mismanaged,  and  that  some  radical  change  is  necessary. 
They  no  doubt  differ  in  regard  to  what  the  change  is  to  be.  A  sepa- 
ration of  Upper  and  Lower  Canada,  accompanied  by  a  new  territo- 
rial division  between  the  two — a  Federal  Union  of  the  British  North 
American  provinces,  under  the  nominal  dominant  authority  and  pro- 
tection of  Great  Britain,  with  one  of  the  royal  family  of  England  as 
the  executive  head — a  union  of  the  same  provinces  into  a  separate 
and  independent  republic,  but  in  amity  and  connexion,  and  under 
the  protection  of  Great  Britain — or  a  peaceful  separation  of  the 
Canadas  from  England,  and  their  annexation  with,  and  incorporation 
into,  the  family  of  the  great  federal  union  of  the  United  States  of 
America.  All  these  schemes  and  measures  have  their  several  sup- 
porters, the  only  bond  of  union  among  them  being  the  universal 
admission  that  some  change  is  imperiously  required.  It  is  not  in- 
tended to  discuss  the  relative  value  of  these  several  panaceas,  pro- 
pounded for  Canadian  disaffection  and  distress ;  but  it  may  be  re- 
marked on  them  generally,  that  either  of  the  first  two  would  suffice 
to  put  an  end  to  the  present  clamour ;  that  the  second  seems  infi- 
nitely preferable  to  the  third ;  and  that,  without  British  consent,  it 
seems  to  be  conceded  on  all  hands,  that  the  last  is  not  to  be  thought 
of,  and  that  it  neither  could  nor  would  be  accomplished. 

The  Montreal  Herald  seems  to  be  the  mouthpiece  of  the  annexa- 
tion party;  and  if  the  reader  in  Great  Britain  judges  from  tV,  he 
will  form  a  very  exaggerated  notion  of  the  feeling  of  the  party  it 
professes  to  represent.  But,  indeed,  this  paper  labours  under  a 
charge  of  inconsistency,  which  greatly  militates  against,  and  detracts 
from,  the  effect  of  the  statements  and  arguments  which  it  now  puts 
forth.  So  late  as  March  1849,  we  had  it  full  of  loyalty,  patriotism, 
and  devotion  to  English  connexion.    Comparing  the  then  state  of 


CANADIAN  AFFAIRS. 


247 


id  tlie  limits 
,  you  are  led 
Government 
3nt.  It  was 
nan  in  Mon- 
id  who  has, 
in  the  move- 
re  reluctance 
and  that  he 
nadianS)  and 
;ood  or  legis- 
lonial  Offixie. 
iucation,  and 
I  men  not  to 
stary.  These 
re  been  very 
is  necessary, 
be.  A  sepa- 
new  territo- 
{ritish  North 
rity  and  pro- 
'  England  as 
^  a  separate 
and  under 
ation  of  the 
ncorporation 
ed  States  of 
several  sup- 
he  universal 
;t  is  not  in- 
maceas,  pro- 
may  be  re- 
svould  suffice 
d  seems  infi- 
h  consent,  it 
»  be  thought 

the  annexa- 
from  ity  ho 
the  party  it 

lirs  under  a 
and  detracts 
it  now  puts 
,  patriotism, 

ien  state  of 


Canada  to  the  condition  of  the  Italian  Exarchates  of  the  tenth  cen- 
tury, and  quoting  the  eloquent  passage  in  Gibbon,  where  he  say&  "f 
these  that  "  they  shared  in  all  the  eclat  which  belonged  to  the  most 
mighty  monarchy  in  the  world,  and  enjoyed  all  the  military  and  na- 
val proiection  which  that  condition  could  afford,"  &c. — these  obser- 
vations of  the  Koman  historian,  on  the  Italian  Exarchaies  of  the 
tenth  century,  the  Montreal  Herald,  in  March  1849,  applied  to  the 
Canadas  in  their  connexion  with  England.  But,  alas  for  newspaper 
inconsistency !  In  the  close  of  the  same  year  we  have  the  same  pa- 
per, under  the  same  management,  declaring  that  nothing  can  remove 
the  evils  under  which,  in  their  phraseology,  Canada  now  groans,  save 
a  separation  from  Great  Britain,  and  her  incorporation  into  the  great 
family  of  the  North  American  Republic.  But,  many  as  are  the  in- 
telligent men  in  Canada  who  are  to  be  found  on  the  side  of  a  radical 
change,  I  have  misread  the  general  mina  in  t'uat  country,  if  this  par- 
ticular change  would  be  considered  as  the  best  one,  or  as  anything 
save  a  choice  of  evils.  Most  Canadians  are  disposed  to  count  the 
cost  of  American  annexation.  While  they  admit  that  it  might  pro- 
hably  raise  the  value  of  fixed  property  in  Canada,  and  possibly  create 
somewhat  greater  activity,  from  an  influx  of  Anglo-Saxon  spirit  and 
enterprise,  they  at  the  same  time  see  clearly  that  it  would  destroy 
the  importance  of  the  leading  towns  in  Canada,  deprive  it  of  the 
whole  expenditure  of  the  British  military,  naval,  commissariat,  and 
ordnance  departments — introduce  the  American  tariflf  on  imported 
goods,  which  is,  in  very  many  particulars,  much  higher  than  the  ex- 
isting one — remove  much  capital  from  Canada  to  the  more  central 
districts  of  the  States — and  involve  Canada  in  whatever  odium  at- 
taches to  the  participation  of  the  American  Federal  Eepublic  in  the 
sin  or  misfortune  of  slavery. 

My  impression  therefore  is,  that  annexation  principles  in  Canada 
have  not  progressed  so  far  as  some  parties  in  this  country,  or  in  the 
States,  would  represent  them  to  have  done.  The  question  has  been 
mooted ;  many  persons  are  interested  in  pressing  it  on  the  Canadian 
public — and  the  most  unscrupulous  mis-statements  have  been  an'^ 
will  be  put  forth  to  urge  its  forward  movement ;  yet  still  it  is  any- 
thing but  palatable  to  the  great  body  of  the  Canadian  people  :  than 
whom  there  are  none  constitutionally  more  loyal,  within  the  limits 
of  the  wide  dominions  of  Queen  Victoria.  But,  at  the  same  time, 
there  is  danger  in  delay.  Such  principles  exist  j  and  if  Great  Britain 
would  keep  these  North  American  colonies,  justice  as  well  as  sound 
policy  requires  the  instant  adoption  of  some  legislative  measures 
which  icill  satisfy  the  British  party  in  Canada,  and  appease  the 
prevailing  discontent,  even  though  that  should  involve  the  going  back 
in  some  measure  upon  our  free-trade  policy.  The  indications  by  the 
Government  of  America,  of  tncir  intention  to  draw  tighter  their 


248 


CANADIAN  AFFAIRS. 


ii;i! 


tariflF  protection  to  the  native  industry  of  the  United  States,  furnish 
Great  Britain  both  with  a  reason  and  a  justification  for  reconsideriDg 
the  position  that  free  trade  must,  of  necessity,  be  fair  trade,  it  were 
desirable  that  our  leading  Free-traders  were  more  plain  asd  explicit 
than  they  have  yet  been  on  the  great  question  of  the  British  colonial 
empire.  It  is  difficult  to  know  from  Cobden,  et  hoc  genun  omne,  on 
what  grounds  they  defend  the  present  system  of  legislatiug  for  the 
colonies  :  whether  it  be  because  the  colonies  are  not  worth  keej  ing, 
at  least  at  the  price  we  have  been  paying  for  them,  or  can  keep  them 
at  J  or  whether  they  think  the  course  they  advocate  is  the  best  means 
for  promoting  colonial  regeneration  and  improvement.  If  the  latter 
be  their  view,  I  would  oppose  facts — stubborn  facts — to  their  theories. 
If  the  former,  the  answer  is  an  entire  diflference  of  opinion.  Many 
wise  and  some  great  men  have  thought,  as  I  do,  that,  without  her 
colonies,  Great  Britain,  instead  of  being  the  greatest  of  powers,  would 
sink  into  the  position  of  a  third  or  fourth  rate  one ;  and  that  not  only 
are  our  noble  colonies  worth  paying  a  heavy  price  to  redeem,  but 
that,  properly  legislated  for,  and  relieved  from  charges  and  expenses 
they  have  no  right  to  bear,  they  hav^  been,  and  they  are  destined  to 
be,  great  sources  of  wealth  to  the  parent  state.  In  their  proper 
time  and  place,  these  are  positions  I  am  prepared  to  discuss  to  the 
best  of  my  humble  ability.  Meanwhile  I  draw  to  a  close  my  re- 
marks on  the  subject  of  the  importance  of  the  Ganadas  to  the  mother 
country,  by  observing  that  there  is  the  soundest  political  philosophy 
in  the  sentiment  of  Sam  Slick,  when — likeniug  the  part  that  the 
Canadian  trade  bears  in  the  general  trade  of  Great  Britain  to  the 
contribution  the  Ohio  makes  to  the  mighty  waters  of  the  Mississippi 
— he  says  that,  although  to  all  appearance  it  does  not  make  it  broader 
or  higher,  it  makes  it  an  "  everlasting  sight  deeper".  Just  so  with 
the  colony  trade :  though  you  can't  see  it  in  the  ocean  of  English 
trade,  yet  it  is  still  there — there,  to  the  effect  of  giving  much  greater 
depth  to  the  general  business  of  the  mother  country. 


LAKE  CHAMPLAIN. 


249 


States,  furnish 
)r  reconsidering 
trade,  it  were 
in  and  explicit 
liritish  colonial 
t/enuff  omnCf  on 
;islatii:g  for  the 
worth  keejing, 
r  can  keep  them 
the  best  means 
.  If  the  latter 
0  their  theories, 
pinion.  Many 
it,  without  her 
F  powers,  would 
id  that  not  only 
to  redeem,  but 
3S  and  expenses 
are  destined  to 
n  their  proper 
discuss  to  the 
a  close  my  re- 
,s  to  the  iother 
ical  philosophy 
part  that  the 
Britain  to  the 
the  Mississippi 
[nake  it  broader 
Just  so  with 
an  of  English 
g  much  greater 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"To  sit  on  rocks,  to  muse  o'er  flood  and  fell, 
To  slowly  trace  the  forest's  shady  scene; 

This  is  not  solitude,  His  but  to  hold 

Conyerse  with  nature's  charms,  and  view  her  stores  unrolled." 

Btkon. 

Crossing  the  St.  Lawrence  from  Montreal  to  La  Prairie,  (a  dis- 
tance of  eight  miles,)  in  a  steamer  called  the  Iron  Duke,  I  pro- 
ceeded onwards  through  an  uninteresting  country  to  the  village  of 
St.  John's  where  I  took  the  steamer  Burlington,  (so  called  after 
the  town  of  the  same  name,  the  capital  of  the  state  of  Vermont,) 
en  route  for  Whitehall,  situated  at  the  upper  end  of  Lake  Cham- 
plain.  I  have  since  observed  that  it  was  in  a  steamer  of  the  same 
name  that  Mr.  Dickens  travelled  over  the  same  route,  and  he  de- 
scribes the  vessel  as  a  "  perfectly  exquisite  achievement  of  neat- 
ness, elegance,  and  order."  The  distance  of  time  scarcely  admits 
of  the  belief  that  the  two  vessels  were  the  same,  or  to  be  identified  on 
any  known  principle  of  marine  architecture,  save  on  the  supposi- 
tion that,  like  the  Highlandman's  gun,  there  had  been  a  gradual 
but  total  renewal  of  the  whole  "  stock,  lock,  and  barrel,"  the  name 
and  general  identity  remaining  nevertheless.  But  if  not  the  same, 
they  were  certainly  similar,  for  a  more  elegant  or  a  more  orderly 
steamship  than  the  Burlington,  in  which  I  passed  through  Lake 
Champlain,  could  scarcely  be  imagined. 

The  chief  characteristic  of  Lake  Champlain  is  its  great  length, 
as  compared  with  its  limited  breadth.  It  is  108  miles  long,  while 
its  greatest  breadth  is  only  12,  and  its  average  width  only  8  miles ; 
and  being  dotted  over  with  numerous  picturesque  islands,  reposing 
as  it  were  on  its  bosom,  the  sail  from  the  one  end  to  the  other  is 
very  varying :  so  that,  although  no  part  of  the  scenery  is  entitled 
to  be  denominated  grand,  or  to  be  compared,  as  it  has  by  some 
been,  to  the  much  more  majestic  scenery  of  the  lakes  of  Scotland, 
a  sail  on  Lake  Champlain  is  exceedingly  agreeable  and  interesting 
— and  that  independent  even  of  the  historic  associations  connected 
with  the  many  conflicts  of  which  its  waters,  islets,  and  banks, 
were  the  arenas,  during  the  war  between  England  and  her  revolted 
colonies  or  their  French  allies.  That  war  is  but  a  relic  of  barba- 
rism, and  that  it  is  ever  to  be  deplored  and  avoided  by  all  honour- 
able means,  is  no  doubt  true,  and  all  reflecting  minds  will  subscribe 
to  this  opinion  in  the  abstract  But  there  are  cases  where  force 
or  resistance  becomes  a  duty ;  and,  whether  the  victims  may  have 


250 


LAKE  GEORGE. 


died  in  defence  of  the  right,  or  in  vindication  of  the  wrong,  there 
ever  will  be  felt  a  generous  sympathy  for  'hose  who  have  fallen  in 
the  battle-field,  or  when  contending  navies  uav<i  struggled  for  the 
mastery  :  and  dastardly  must  be  the  soul  that  could  refuse  a  pass- 
ing sigh  to  the  memory  of  departed  heroism,  even  though  it  had 
exhibited  itself  in  the  person,  and  in  the  actings,  of  one  whom  he 
may  have  considered  the  na^aral  foe  of  his  country  or  his  race. 
Thus  i*i  is  that  the  scenes  of  Lake  Champlain  afford  a  kind  of 
classic  ground  for  the  novelist  or  the  poet,  and  that  they  can 
scarcely  be  traversed  by  any  one  without  emotions  of  interest  or 
delight. 

Only  a  small  portion  of  Lake  Champlain  is  in  Canada,  and  the 
part  that  is  so  is  at  the  lower  end  of  the  lake.  In  sailing  along  it 
you  very  soon  pass  the  line  of  demarcation,  which  separates  the 
territory  of  the  United  States  from  that  of  Great  Britain.  The 
general  features,  and,  indeed,  the  particular  scenes  of  the  lake, 
have  been  so  of  .en  described  by  previous  travellers,  that  I  shall 
content  myself  by  compressing  my  notes  upon  it  into  the  sentence ; 
that  the  shores  and  sf^enery  of  Lake  Champlain,  are,  at  its  lower 
extremity,  flat  and  uninteresting ;  while  it  gradually  improves,  and 
towards  the  upper  end  there  are  some  scenes  of  great  and  romantic 
beauty — some  which  reminded  me,  in  many  respects,  of  the 
scenery  among  the  islands  at  the  lower  end  or  broadest  part  of 
Loch  Lomond  in  Scotland. 

If  the  traveller  wishes  to  visit  Lake  George,  he  must  not  proceed 
onwards  in  the  steamf^r  to  Whiteha'J.,  but  leave  her  at  Ticonderago. 
I  did  not  do  so,  being  deterred  from  the  execution  of  my  intention 
by  the  information  that  the  steamer  had  not  yet  commenced  sail- 
ing on  this  smallest  but  most  romantic  of  the  American  lakes,  and 
that  J.  would  find  a  difficulty  in  getting  the  means  of  conveyance. 
However,  on  comparing  notes  at  Boston  with  some  fiiends,  (wh. 
had  been  my  fellow-travellers  during  a  part  of  my  journey ings, 
and  whom  the  terrors  of  the  cholera  on  the  Mississippi,  or  their 
preference  of  the  Charleston  route,  had  caused  to  make  choice  of  a 
different  course  of  travel;)  I  regretted  much  that  I  had  not  carried 
out  my  original  intention  of  visiting  Lake  George.  These  two 
gentlemen — both  of  whom  displayed  capacities  to  enjoy,  and  powers 
to  appreciate,  the  beauties  of  nature — assured  me  that  all  they  had 
previously  heard  of  the  picturesque  beauty  and  grandeur  of  the 
scenery  of  this  little  lake  (which  is  not  more  than  twenty  miles 
long,  by  about  one  mile  broad)  had  not  exceeded  the  truth.  They 
described  it  as  exhibiting  much  of  the  wild  sublimity  of  the  scenery 
of  my  native  Scotland,  combined  with  much  beauty  peculiar  to 
itself.  On  the  report  therefore  of  Mr.  Lavis,  Mr.  Child,  and 
others,  I  r'jcommend  my  successors  to  stop  at  Ticonderago  and 


SARATOGA  SPRINGS. 


251 


3  wrong,  there 
have  fallen  in 
iggled  for  the 
refuse  a  pass- 
though  it  had 
one  whom  he 
py  or  his  race, 
brd  a  kind  of 
that  they  can 
of  interest  or 

nada,  and  the 
ailing  along  it 
,  separates  the 
Britain.  The 
3  of  the  lake, 
rs,  that  I  shall 
)  the  sentence ; 
e,  at  its  lower 
improves,  and 
b  and  romantic 
ipects,  of  the 
roadest  part  of 

st  not  proceed 

t  Ticonderago. 

f  my  intention 

amended  sail- 

cau  lakes,  and 

f  conveyance. 

fiiends,  (wh. 

'  journey ings, 

sippi,  or  their 

ke  choice  of  a 

ad  not  carried 

.     These  two 

)y,  and  powers 

,t  all  they  had 

andeur  of  the 

twenty  miles 

I  truth.   They 

of  the  scenery 

y  peculiar  to 

•.  Child,  and 

Dnderago  and 


visit  Lake  George,  instead  of  proceeding,  as  I  did,  straight  up  the 
canal-like  upper  extremity  of  Lake  Champlain,  round  the  Devil's 
Elbow,  to  tho  bustling,  trading,  irregularly  built  and  wretchedly 
paved,  town  of  Whitehall,  whence  I  proceeded  through  a  pleasing 
country,  but  by  a  very  indifferently  laid,  jolting  railway,  to  the 
famed  springs  and  village  of  Saratoga,  somewhere  called  the  Chel- 
tenham of  America :  but,  if  so,  similis  sed  longo  intervallo.  Al- 
though the  speed  at  which  we  travelled  was  not  great,  not  being 
quite  up  to  twenty  miles  an  hour  at  any  time,  the  jolting  I  have 
referred  to  was  excessive ;  and  as  the  effect  was  to  make  the  in- 
mates of  tue  long  carriage  (which  contained  some  sixty  people) 
bob  up  and  down  on  the  ^new  spring-cushions,  the  result  was  very 
ludicrous,  and  would  have  been  simply  amusing,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  sense  of  danger  that  attaches  to  every  kind  of  unexpected 
noise  or  unwonted  motion,  when  travelling  on  a  railway. 

Although  my  visit  to  the  now  far-famed  springs  of  Saratoga,  was  paid 
at  a  period  of  the  year  a  little  too  early  for  seeing  the  village  in  full 
dress,  and  the  motley  scene  it  annually  exhibits  during  what  is  called 
the  "  gay  season,"  yet  I  gladly  made  it  a  resting  place,  having  been 
travelling  almost  continuously  since  I  had  left  behind  me  the  glorious 
Falls  of  Niagara.  But  in  reference  to  this  place,  and  indeed  to  all 
places  of  pretty  general  resort  to  which  the  traveller  may  repair  in  the 
United  States  of  America,  (the  same  observation  may  be  made  of 
other  countries,)  he  will  study  his  comfort  if,  previous  to  his  arrival 
at  any  place,  he  fixes  definitely  on  the  hotel  in  which  he  intends  to 
take  up  his  temporary  abode,  and  adheres  to  his  resolution  on  arrival, 
despite  the  allurements  of  accidental  fellow-travellers  and  others  to 
induce  him  to  go  elsewhere.  Vacillation  in  this  respect  is  sure  to 
engender  a  host  of  importunities,  and  ten  chances  to  one  that,  dur- 
ing the  confusion,  the  different  portions  of  your  luggage  are  made 
to  part  company,  and  to  go  to  different  localities.  But  a  little  pre- 
vious arrangement  will  prevent  all  this  j  and  it  is  only  justice  to 
say  that,  if  confusion  does  occur,  it  is  in  general  the  traveller's  own 
fault.  In  particular,  I  have  often  admired  the  arrangement  gene- 
rally acted  on  in  the  United  States,  for  the  forwarding  of  luggage 
when  accompanying  a  passenger  on  a  long  journey,  to  be  performed 
partly  by  rail  and  partly  by  sea.  On  getting  your  ticket  at  the 
railway  station,  or  in  the  steamboat,  by  or  in  which  the  journey  is 
commenced,  you  may  get  tickets  put  upon  each  separate  package  or 
portion  of  which  your  luggage  consists.  These  tickets  bear  each  a 
separate  number  and  duplicate  tickets  bearing  the  same  number 
being  given  to  the  passenger,  he  has  nothing  more  to  do  at  the  end 
of  the  journey — however  many  may  have  been  the  transitions,  aa 
regards  the  modes  of  conveyance,  through  which  he  may  have  passed 
—than  to  give  his  duplicates  to  a  porter,  telling  him  to  attend  to 


252 


SARATOGA  SPRINGS. 


the  receiving  of  the  "personala"  at  the  general  delivery,  and  to 
bring  them  to  the  hotel  at  which  ho  may  have  resolved  on  sojourn- 
ing. Such  at  least  was  the  course  I  pursued,  by  passing  over  every- 
thing into  the  public  charge,  on  the  security  of  the  duplicate;  and, 
albeit  that  there  are  but  too  well  authenticated  stories  of  numerous 
thefts  committed  on  rivers  and  railways  in  the  United  States,  and 
despite  an  abortive  attempt  to  rob  me,  by  picking  the  lock  of  my 
door  and  knocking  off  the  lock  from  one  of  mv  portmanteaus,  in  a 
hotel  in  New  York,  I  did  not  lose  anything  of  consequence  during 
the  whole  of  my  erratic  sojourn  in  the  great  republic. 

The  waters  of  Congress  Spring,  Saratoga,  are  not  only  drunk  in 
large  quantities  at  the  spring  and  in  the  village,  but  they  are  bottled 
in  equally  large  quantities,  and  sent  to  all  parts  of  the  American 
Union,  and  sometimes  even  to  Europe.  But  there  is  a  vast  differ- 
ence between  the  water  as  drunk  from  tlv  spring,  and  the  same  spe- 
cies of  water  as  drunk  from  the  bottle.  In  both  there  should  be 
some  effervescence,  but  at  the  spring  it  sparkles  and  effervesces  like 
soda-water,  and  with  a  clearness  which  is  quite  delightful  to  behold. 
To  my  taste  it  is  singularly  pleasant ;  and,  judging  from  the  large 
quantities  of  it  swallowed  in  the  morning,  and  even  at  other  periods 
of  the  day,  by  fairy  forms  of  comparatively  small  dimensions,  the 
taste  for  it  seems  to  be  quite  a  general  one.  Judging  from  the  man- 
ner in  which  it  is  extolled  and  used  by  the  general  travelling  public 
of  America,  one  would  suppose  that  Saratoga  water — or  Congress 
water,  as  it  is  more  generally  called — was  a  panacea  for  all  the  ills 
that  human  flesh  is  heir  to ;  and  there  seems  to  be  no  doubt  but 
that,  like  some  of  our  British  springs,  it  is  highly  useful  in  many, 
if  not  in  most  complaints  arising  from  derangement  of  the  stomach 
and  bowels,  and  also  in  complaints  of  a  rheumatic  character :  but 
it  is  undoubtedly  injurious  in  phthisis,  and  indeed  in  all  pulmonary 
affections  arising  from  primary  disease  of  the  lungs.  It  was,  how- 
ever, the  acceptability  of  its  taste  that  would  have  made  Congress 
water  to  me  an  infinitely  more  drinkable  beverage  than  any  other 
mineral  water  I  bad  ever  tasted,  either  in  Great  Britain  or  else- 
where, had  it  not  been  for  the  above-stated  fact  of  its  inaptitude  in 
cases  where  there  is  the  suspicion  of  phthisical  complaint.  Whence 
this  agreeability  proceeded,  I  am  not  erough  of  a  chemist  confidently 
to  say.  Those  who  are  may  be  able  to  do  so  from  perusal  of  the 
following — which  is,  as  I  was  on  the  spot  informed,  Sir  Humphrey 
Davy's  and  Professor  Faraday's  analysis  of  the  solid  contents  in  a 
gallon  of  Congress  water  : — 

Grains. 

Chlorule"of  sodium, 385-44 

Hydiiodato  of  soda. • 4-02 


Amount  carried  forward, 


869.46 


livery,  and  to 
ed  on  sqjourn- 
ng  over  every- 
uplicatc;  and, 
s  of  numerous 
ed  States,  and 
he  lock  of  my 
manteaus,  in  a 
quence  during 

only  drunk  in 
hey  are  bottled 
the  American 
s  a  vast  differ- 
i  the  same  spe- 
bere  should  be 
eflFervesces  like 
tful  to  behold, 
from  the  large 
it  other  periods 
limensions,  the 
from  the  man- 
avelling  public 
• — or  Congress 
for  all  the  ills 
5  no  doubt  but 
seful  in  many, 
3f  the  stomach 
character;  but 
all  pulmonary 

It  was,  how- 
made  Congress 
han  any  other 
Jritain  or  else- 
s  inaptitude  in 
lint.  Whence 
list  confidently 
perusal  of  the 
Sir  Humphrey 

contents  in  a 


Grains. 
.  385-44 
.      4-02 


3b9.46 


TROY.  253 

Amount  brouglit  forward,  SSO'IO 

Carbonate  of  lime, llG-00 

Carbonate  of  magnesia, 6f]"80 

Oxide  of  iron, 00*G4 

Carbonate  of  soda, 00-56 

Hydrobromate  of  potasli,  (a  trace,) 00.00 

Solid  contents  in  a  gallon, 503-46 

Besides  the  Congress  Spring,  which  is  the  one  generally  resorted 
to,  there  is,  at  Saratoga,  another  spring  called  Rock  Spring,  the  wa- 
ters of  which,  although  of  greatly  inferior  strength,  and  therefore 
little  used,  are  worthy  of  a  visit,  were  it  only  on  account  of  tho 
singular  formation  and  appearance  of  the  detached  round  stone  or 
rock  up  which  they  seem  to  come,  and  out  of  which  they  unques- 
tionably flow.  The  theory  is,  that  tlie  water  holds  in  solution  a 
considerable  portion  of  lime,  the  gradual  deposition  of  which,  on 
the  escape  of  the  carbonic  acid  gas,  has,  in  the  course  of  ages,  and 
while  the  land  was  in  the  possession  of  the  red  man,  formed  the  very 
singular  stone  which  now  constitutes  one  of  the  objects  of  the  whito 
man's  curiosity. 

By  the  last  census,  the  resident  population  of  Saratoga  was  3700 
inhabitants ;  but  it  will  be  readily  understood  that  the  town  depends 
mainly  for  its  existence,  as  well  as  for  its  importance,  on  the  migra- 
tory population  from  the  north  and  south,  who  swarm  in  the  hotels, 
occupy  the  colonnades,  perambulate  the  road-like  streets,  and  lounge, 
gossip,  and  flirt  at  the  springs  during  tho  three  months,  or  thereby, 
which  form  the  Saratoga  season. 

The  hotels  of  Saratoga  are  large  and  numerous,  there  being  about 
half-a-dozen  mammoth  establishments,  besides  several  smaller  ones. 
The  streets  are  long  and  broad,  and  the  chief  street  or  avenue  (in 
which  the  principal  hotels  are  situated)  is  shaded  by  trees  on  each 
side.  But,  being  mainly  built  of  wood,  Saratoga  has  suffered,  and 
is  yet  likely  to  suffer  much,  from  being  devastated  by  fire. 

From  Saratoga  I  proceeded  to  Troy,  passing  not  far  from  the  vil- 
lage of  Boston  Spa,  where  there  are  springs  formerly  held  in  repute, 
(having  been  first  discovered  from  its  being  observed  that  the  wild 
deer  frequented  the  spot,)  somewhat  akin  to,  but  now  in  a  great 
measure  eclipsed  by,  the  more  fashionable  and  popular  springs  of 
Saratoga.  The  distance  from  Saratoga  to  Troy  is  thirty-two  miles, 
and  the  journey  is  performed  by  a  railway,  which  is  carried  over  the 
Hudson  by  a  square  wooden  tunnel,  of  rather  gigantic  dimensions, 
and  of  extraordinary  as  well  as  ingenious  formation.  The  cili/  of  Troy,^ 
as  it  is  called,  is  a  town  of  some  20,000  inhabitants,  and  is  one  of 
those  places  which,  by  the  rapidity  of  their  progress  in  wealth,  ex- 
tent, and  population,  speak  more  forcibly  than  do  any  other  appear- 
ances of  the  onward  progress  of  the  American  nation. 

22 


254 


ALBANY. 


i 


Though  only  seven  miles  distant  from  the  older,  larger,  and,  as 
yet,  much  more  beautiful  town  of  Albany,  Troy  has  advanced  and  is 
advancing  with  very  rapid  strides  j  while  it  is  said  that  Albany,  with 
all  its  apparent  advantages,  is  making  but  little  progress.  Probably 
this  is  owing  to  the  relative  position  of  the  two  places.  Both  towns 
are  situated  on  the  Hudson,  and  both  owe  their  importance  to  their 
connexion  with  that  noble  stream.  But  Troy  is  higher  up,  and  at 
the  extremity  of  the  river  navigation,  and  thus  seems  likely,  event- 
ually, to  draw  to  itself  the  larger  share  of  what  may  be  called  the 
"  through  traflfic;"  so  that  it  will,  in  all  probability,  in  the  end  be- 
come the  great  entrepot  to  which  will  be  sent  the  goods  exported 
from,  or  imported  into,  the  large  and  fertile  country  on  the  frontier 
of  which  it  may  be  said  to  stand. 

It  were  a  mistake  to  suppose  that  the  progress  of  all  the  towns 
and  cities  of  the  American  Union  has  been  an  onward  and  an  im- 
proving one.  There,  as  in  the  Old  Country  whence  she  has  sprung, 
everything  depends  on  the  judiciousness  of  the  site.  As  a  general 
rule,  land  in  the  United  States  has  risen,  and  will  rise,  in  value. 
But  this  is  not  universally  true :  there  are  lands  in  very  many  pi  ices, 
in  almost  all  the  states  of  the  American  Union,  that  do  not  rise.  In 
short,  the  elements  of  success  in  the  new,  are  just  the  same  as  they 
are  in  the  Old  Country.  The  same  cause — namely,  the  excellence 
of  its  position,  and  the  greatness  of  its  resources  for  trade,  which 
have  in  the  New  World  caused  New  York  to  increase  in  wealth  and 
population  with  such  enormous  rapidity — has,  in  the  Old  World, 
advanced  the  city  of  Glasgow,  in  the  same  respects,  in  nearly  an 
equal  ruiio. 

For  the  facility  of  traffic,  the  railway  is  laid  through  the  centre  of 
the  principal  streets  of  Troy ;  but,  to  lessen  the  chance  of  accident, 
the  locomotives  are  detached,  (here  as  well  as  at  other  places,)  and 
the  cars  drawn  through  the  streets  by  means  of  horses. 

The  distance  between  Troy  and  Albany  is,  as  1  have  already  men- 
tioned, only  seven  miles;  and  to  perform  this  short  journey  the 
travjller  has  the  choice  of  the  stage,  the  steamboat,  and  the  railway. 
I  abjured  the  former,  induced  thereto  by  the  warnings  of  others, 
and  some  slight  personal  experience ;  and  of  the  two  latter  modes  of 
progression,  I  \vh<ie  choice  of  the  rail,  simply  because,  at  the  time, 
it  involved  least  trouble. 

The  town  of  Albany  is  believed  to  stand  on  the  spot  which  formed 
the  extreme  point  to  which  Henry  Hudson  ascended,  when  he  dis- 
covered the  river  which  bears  his  name,  in  the  year  1607j  and  the 
city  received  its  present  name  from  the  English  settlers,  who  named 
the  town  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  New  York,  and  this  place  Al- 
bany, in  honour  of  the  brother  of  King  Charles  II.,  whose  titles 
were  Duke  of  York  and  Albany.    Being  thus  of  nioro  than  ordinar  v 


THE  HUDSON. 


255 


irgcr,  and,  as 
vanced  and  is 
Albany,  with 
3s.    Probably 
Both  towns 
tance  to  their 
ler  up,  and  at 
likely,  event- 
be  called  the 
n  the  end  be- 
oods  exported 
)n  the  frontier 

all  the  towns 
•d  and  an  im- 
le  has  sprung, 
As  a  general 
rise,  in  value, 
y  many  places, 
0  not  rise.  In 
3  same  as  they 
the  excellence 

trade,  which 
in  wealth  and 
e  Old  World, 

in  nearly  an 

the  centre  of 
:e  of  accident, 
places,)  and 

already  men- 
journey  the 
d  the  railway. 
Qgs  of  others, 
ittcr  modes  of 
I,  at  the  time, 

which  formed 
when  he  dis- 
)07j  and  the 
who  named 
^iiis  place  Al- 
whose  titles 
than  ordinary 


antiquity  for  a  transatlantic  city,  Albany  displays  more  than  the 
usual  transatlantic  solidity;  and  although  it  cannot  boast  the  hot-bed 
progress  of  such  towns  as  Cincinnati,  or  that  it  has  kept  pace  with 
the  gigantic  sister  city  which  shared  with  it  the  titles  of  the  English 
Duke,  Albany  is  nevertheless  a  very  pleasing  town,  of  some  fifty 
thousand  inhabitants,  and  about  as  handsome,  in  many  parts,  as  I 
think  it  is  possible  to  make  a  town  of  a  purely  trading  character, 
and  which  is  mainly  built  of  bricks  j  for,  accustomed  in  earlier  lifo 
to  the  stone  edifices  of  Scotland,  I  feel  it  difiicult  to  disabuse  my 
mind  of  a  cotton-mill  impression,  when  I  look  along  a  street  which 
is  entirely  composed  of  brick  houses. 

Albany  contains  some  publ'c  buildings  of  merit.  The  City  Hall, 
built  of  white  marble,  with  its  Ionic  fagade,  pleased  me  much,  and 
not  less  so  in  that  it  appealed  to  my  nationality  by  a  portrait  of  Sir 
Walter  Scott  which  it  contains.  The  State  Hall,  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  City  Hall,  is  a  large  building ;  and  the  Capitol  is  a  third  edifice 
deserving  a  visit.  Of  the  streets.  State  Street  is  the  principal ;  and 
it  is  a  very  handsome,  broad  street,  although  of  varying  widths. 

Having  devoted  only  a  day  to  a  general  inspection  of  Albany,  I 
(3mbarked,  with  some  impatience,  on  board  a  steamer  called  the 
Alida,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning,  so  that  I  might  have  the 
whole  day  to  observe  the  scenery  of  the  Hudson  or  North  River. 
I  say  I  did  so  with  impatience ;  for  although  I  had,  within  a  very 
short  period,  and  but  a  short  time  before,  witnessed  a  great  succes- 
sion and  variety  of  river  scenery  on  the  Mississippi,  the  Ohio,  the 
Niagara,  and  the  St.  Lawrence,  (not  to  speak  of  the  previously 
seen  river  scenery  of  the  Old  World,)  yet  the  accounts  I  had  heard 
from  friendfj  in  Europe,  and  from  fellow-travellers  in  America,  of 
the  extreme  beauty  of  the  scenery  of  the  Hudson,  had  raised  my 
expectation?  to  a  high  pitch.  Such  past  experiences  and  present 
expectations,  do  not  seem  to  be  such  as  were  likely  to  make  me  an 
easily  pleased  observer ;  and  yet  I  can  most  honestly  say  I  was  not 
disappointed.  The  Hudson  equalled,  and  in  many  places  surpassed, 
in  beauty  and  in  grandeur, — but  chiefly  in  beauty, — my  most  san- 
guine expectations.  Indeed,  I  feel  that,  even  had  it  been  less  at- 
tractive than  it  is,  I  would  scarce  have  been  disappointed.  So  far 
as  my  own  feelings  enable  me  to  judge,  I  think  that  the  more  one 
sees  of  the  beauties  or  the  majesties  of  nature,  the  more  easily  will 
they  be  pleased  with  succeeding  scenes  of  a  similar  character. 
The  taste  for  the  sublime  and  beautiful  in  nature  palls  not,  nor 
does  it  become  easily  satiated ;  on  the  contrary,  and  like  Virgil's 
beautiful  impersonation  of  fame, 

"  Vires  acquirit  eundo — " 
It  gathers  strength  as  it  proceeds.     And  not  only  so,  but  the  per- 


256 


THE  HUDSON. 


ception,  like  the  memory,  becomes  more  acute  by  exercise ;  and 
new  beauties  are  perceived  in  each  successive  scene,  simply  be- 
cause, by  the  experience  acquired  when  visiting  previous  ones,  the 
eye  has  become  more  acute  and  alive  to  beauty  and  grace.  Such 
was  my  experience  at  the  Falls  of  Montmorenci :  I  did  not  tdmire 
them  less  because  I  had  Niagara  fresh  and  living  in  my  recollec- 
tion. Such  were  my  feelings  now :  I  did  not  for  a  moment  feel 
that  there  was  any  jostling  between  the  claims  of  the  St.  Lawrence 
and  the  Hudson ;  each  had  its  own  ideal,  which,  while  it  permitted 
contrast,  admitted  not  of  any  close  or  invidious  comparison. 

Mere  descriptive  writing,  save  from  the  hands  of  a  master  of 
such  composition,  is  very  apt  to  weary ;  and  as  I  cannot  with  truth 
say  that  my  voyage  down  the  Hudson,  from  Albany  to  New  York, 
was  varied  by  any  of  those  "  moving  incidents  by  flood  or  fell,"  or 
by  any  of  those  extraordinary  conversations  with  Yankee  fellow- 
passengers — or  still  more  extraordinary  dialogues  between  Irish- 
men and  negroes,  with  which  some  writers  of  travels  in  the  United 
States  have  been  able  to  intersperse,  garnish,  and  give  spiciness  to 
their  narrations — I  will  in  the  course  of  a  very  few  sentences  epi- 
tomise the  numerous  notes  I  have  made,  relative  to  the  characte- 
ristics of  this  noble  and  majestic  river.     True,  were  I  to  sacrifice 
truth  for  the  sake  of  effect,  I  might  here  introduce  some  of  the 
numerous  stories  of  Negro  cunning,  and  Yankee  art,  or  rather  prac- 
tical joking,  of  which  one  hears  so  much  in  the  West  Indies  and 
in  America :  And — particularly  as  my  trip  down  the  river  was 
made  only  ten  days  after  that  appalling  accident,  the  running  down 
of  the  steamer  Empire  City,  by  the  schooner  Noah  Brown,  when, 
at  the  hour  of  midnight,  above  a  hundred  and  twenty  human  be- 
ings were  at  once  sunk  in  the  Hudson,  to  rise  no  more  in  time — I 
might  intersperse  my  narrative  with  some  details  of  the  dangers 
attending  steamboat  sailing  on  the  rivers  and  in  the  bays  of  New 
England.     But  all  this  would  be  to  borrow  from  the  experie-  ces 
of  others,  under  the  pretence  of  describing  my  own,  while  my 
main,  and  indeed  sole  object,  is  to  give  an  exact  impress  of  facts 
as  they  occurred.     As,  therefore,  I  neither  saw  nor  heard  of  difii- 
culties,  dangers,  or  marvels,  I  have  none  to  record.     But  I  have 
to  record  that,  for  about  ten  hours,  I  enjoyed  one  of  the  most  de- 
lightful sails  it  has  ever  been  my  good  fortune  to  enjoy,  passing 
during  that  time  a  space  of  some  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  down  a 
briskly  running,  clear,  bright,  and  often  broad  river,  and  through 
a  succession  of  scenery  which,  while  it  was  at  all  times  fine  and 
ever  varying,  was  in  many  places  majestic  if  not  sublime.     In  par- 
ticular, that  part  of  the  scenery  where  the  river,'  with  a  narrower 
and  more  pent-in  channel,  but  with  greater  speed,  and  as  it  were 
more  determination,  forces  itself  through  the  Highlands,  is  rich  in 


saw, 


THE  HUDSON. 


257 


xercise;  and 
1,  simply  be- 
ous  ones,  the 
grace.  Such 
id  not  idmire 
I  my  recoUec- 
,  moment  feel  „ 
St.  Lawrence 
e  it  permitted 
larison. 

f  a  master  of 
aot  with  truth 
to  New  York, 
od  or  fell,"  or 
Yankee  fellow- 
)etween  Irish- 
in  the  United 
ve  spiciness  to 
sentences  epi- 
)  the  characte- 
e  I  to  sacrifice 
e  some  of  the 
I  or  rather  prac- 
est  Indies  and 
the  river  was 
running  down 
Brown,  when, 
ity  human  be- 
ore  in  time — ^I 
,f  the  dangers 
hays  of  New 
^e  experie-  ces 
[wn,  while  my 
ipress  of  facts 
heard  of  diffi- 
But  I  have 
the  most  de- 
lenjoy,  passing 
miles,  down  a 
•,  and  through 
times  fine  and 
Jme.     In  par- 
f  th  a  narrower 
md  as  it  were 
mds,  is  rich  in 


scenes  of  exceedingly  picturesque  beauty.  For  some  hours  after 
leaving  Albany,  the  banks,  though  by  no  means  devoid  of  beauty, 
are  comparatively  flat  and  tame;  but  about  fifteen  miles  above 
West  Point,  and  when  you  come  in  clear  view  of  the  Catskill 
Mountains,  the  scene  changes,  and  for  some  time  the  sail  lies  be- 
tween picturesque  hills  on  either  side,  through  the  midst  of  which 
the  noble  river  seems  to  feel,  and  occasionally  to  force,  its  way.  At 
West  Point,  (as  beautiful  a  spot  as  the  eye  can  rest  on,)  the  scene  is  at 
its  loveliest ;  and  for  ten  miles  below,  and  some  ten  or  fifteen  above, 
there  is  a  succession  of  mountain  and  lake  scenery,  which  is  ex- 
ceedingly beautiful  and  pleasing,  and  which,  were  the  mountains 
somewhat  loftier,  and  more  storm-scalped,  would  not  be  unlike 
some  of  the  noble  scenery  to  be  seen  in  the  Firth  of  Clyde.  But 
in  making  this  comparison,  and  while  I  would  place  the  scenery  of 
the  river  on  the  banks  of  which  I  was  born  second  to  none  I  ever 
saw,  the  observation  is  not  meant  as  involving  anything  disrespect- 
ful or  derogatory  to  the  Hudson.  'Twere  sacrilege  to  think  so. 
If  the  hills  of  the  Hudson  would  look  tame  in  the  presence  of  the 
majestic  mountains  of  Arran,  or  of  Cunninghame,  Kintyre,  or 
Cowall — those  hills,  and  the  rest  of  the  scenery  through  which  the 
Hudson  pours  its  waters,  have  other  beauties — beauties  of  foliage 
and  of  verdure — peculiar  to  themselves,  which  preclude  any  proper 
or  close  comparison  between  them  and  the  heath-clad  hills  of  the 
land  of  "  mountain  and  of  flood."  The  entire  course  of  the  Hudson 
is  said  to  be  three  hundred  miles  in  length.  It  is,  however,  only 
navigable  for  sea-going  ships  as  far  as  the  town  which  rejoices  in 
the  same  name  as  the  river,  and  which  is  one  hundred  and  sixteen 
miles  distant  from  New  York.  For  coasting  vessels  and  steamers, 
the  stream  is  navigable  for  nearly  forty  miles  farther,  or  as  far  as 
the  rising  city  of  Troy.  In  width  it  varies  considerably.  For  fully 
twenty  miles  above  New  York  the  breadth  is  about  a  mile,  but 
while  passing  through  the  romantic  region  appropriately  termed 
the  Highlands,  the  beautiful  river  is  contracted  into  narrow  limits, 
while  the  mountains  rise  on  either  side,  many  of  them  to  a  height 
exceeding  a  thousand  feet.  Occasionally  it  expands  to  a  width  of 
between  three  or  four  miles. 


22* 


258 


NEW  YORK. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


" I  love  not  nature  less, 

But  man  the  more."  BTROir. 

«  Uumanum  sum ;  nihil  humanum  a  me  aJienum  puto." 

Landing  at  New  York  in  the  evening,  I  proceeded  to  Delmonico's 
liotel  in  Broadway,  attracted  thereto,  as  has  been  already  confessed, 
as  much  by  the  allurement  thit  the  house  was  managed  more  in  the 
English  than  in  the  American  style,  as  by  any  other  consideration. 
For,  while  on  the  principle  of  chacun  d  son  gout,  I  certainly  have  no 
objections  either  to  my  American  brethren,  or  to  any  other  body  of 
men,  taking  their  meals  in  public  and  at  large  ordinaries ;  nay,  while 
I  often,  and  indeed  generally,  enjoyed  doing  so,  and  would  desire 
occasionally  to  practise  it  at  home,  were  it  only  for  the  spirit  of  ob- 
servation and  sociality  it  engenders  or  promotes ;  and  farther,  while 
I  have  nothing  to  complain  of  as  to  the  cuisine  of  America,  (although 
I  do  think  and  maintain  that  it  is  inferior  to  that  of  England,)  still,  as  a 
practical  rule,  I  do  not  like  the  call  to  be  hungry  and  thirsty  at  par- 
ticular hours,  just  because  other  people  are  so :  nay  more  I  cannot 
be  so — I  cannot  so  drill  my  appetite.  It  was  therefore  with  a  satis- 
faction disproportionate  to  the  event,  that  I  found  myself  at  Delmo- 
nico's hotel  at  free  will  to  breakfast  when  I  chose,  dine  when  I 
chose,  and  sup  when  I  chose,  and  that  without  the  disheartening  con- 
viction, that  I  was  thereby  allowing  all  the  tit-bits  to  be  consumed 
by  the  more  regular  stagers,  who  took  their  places  at  the  table  d'hote. 
In  other  words,  there  is  no  ordinary  at  Delmonico's. 

Reader,  be  not  afraid ;  it  is  not  my  intention  to  weary  you  with 
the  thrice-told  tale,  an  account  of  the  commercial,  I  had  almost  said 
the  real,  (but,  if  I  did,  neither  my  Boston  nor  my  Washington 
friends  would  forgive  me,)  capital  of  the  United  States  of  America. 
But  fidelity  to  my  motto  of  "  nothing  extenuate,"  requires  me  to  say 
that,  were  I  to  do  so,  I  fear  my  description  would  scarcely  tally  with 
— or  at  least  would  not  come  quite  up  to — the  generally  all-eulo- 
gistio  descriptions  given  of  this  great  city.  For,  truth  to  say,  New 
York  at  first  disappointed  me }  and  that  disappointment  did  not  en- 
tirely wear  oflF  during  the  two  visits  I  paid  to  it  ere  I  left  the  conti- 
nent of  America.  The  disappointment  of  the  first  sight  might  bo 
accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  I  landed  at  New  York  on  the  afternoon 
of  a  miserably  dull,  dark  day,  and  that  for  the  two  succeeding  days 
it  rained,  if  not  very  copiously,  at  least  so  continuously,  as  to  compel 
me  either  to  refrain  from  sight-seeing  altogether,  or  to  s^^io  New  York 
under  circumstances  anything  but  advantageous.    But  the  sun  shone 


NEW  YORK. 


259 


to  Delmonico's 
ady  confessed, 
ed  more  in  the 
consideration, 
•tainly  have  no 
other  body  of 
ies  J  nay,  while 
I  would  desire 
le  spirit  of  ob- 
fdrther,  while 
irica,  (although 
land,)  still,  as  a 
thirsty  at  par- 
more  I  cannot 
re  with  a  satis- 
self  at  Delmo- 
,  dine  when  I 
leartening  con- 
be  consumed 
le  table  d'hote. 

reary  you  with 
ad  almost  said 
y  Washington 
38  of  America, 
lircs  me  to  say 
ccly  tally  with 
erally  all-eulo- 
;h  to  say,  New 
mt  did  not  en- 
left  the  conti- 
iight  might  bo 
I  the  afternoon 
icceeding  days 
ff  as  to  compel 
soo  New  York 
the  sun  shone 


on  the  city  and  its  vicinity  during  the  whole  of  my  second  visit ;  and 
unless  it  be  really  true,  as  I  think  it  is,  that  New  York  is  not  tho 
handsome  city  it  is  generally  represented  to  be,  I  cannot  otherwise 
account  for  my  continued  disappointment,  than  by  supposing  that 
the  inflated  accounts  given  me  by  my  American  friends  in  Great 
Britain  had  raised  my  expectations  to  an  unreasonable  pitch.  I  have 
already  pleaded  guilty  to  an  incapacity  (if  so  it  be)  of  comparing  one 
scene  in  nature  with  another,  so  as  to  form  and  declare  a  preference 
for  the  one  over  the  other ;  and  as  it  is  with  me  in  regard  to  natural 
scenes,  so  is  it  also,  in  part  at  least,  as  regards  artificial  ones.  Towns 
can  be  more  accurately  compared  than  landscapes,  and  the  greatness 
of  cities  than  the  magnificence  of  nature.  But  still  it  is  very  diffi- 
cult, in  this  way,  to  give  a  correct  idea  of  any  town  or  city.  Each 
has  various  points  peculiar  to  itself — points,  the  non-existence  of 
which,  in  the  place  to  which  it  may  be  compared,  precludes  the  pos- 
sibility of  drawing  a  correct  parallel  between  the  two.  I  shall  not 
therefore  try  to  give  my  reader  a  general  idea  of  New  York,  by  com- 
paring or  contrasting  it  with  any  European  town,  farther  than  by  say- 
ing, that  I  thought  it  more  like  Liverpool  than  any  other  town  in 
Britain.  Neither  will  I  contrast  it  with  any  city  on  its  own  seaboard, 
save  by  remarking  that,  for  myself,  1  would  prefer  a  residence  in 
Boston  or  in  Philadelphia  to  one  in  New  York. 

But,  while  I  write  thus  indefinitely  of  New  York  as  a  whole,  I  can 
honestly  write  more  definitely,  and  in  terms  of  unqualified  praise,  of 
many  views  and  scenes  in  and  connected  with  it.  In  particular,  the 
bay  and  harbour  of  New  York  rise  to  my  memory  as  among  the  most 
beautiful  and  commodious  to  be  found  in  the  world.  They  exhibit 
a  scene  of  activity  and  life  which  is  exceedingly  inspiriting.  Formed 
by  the  junction  or  confluence  of  the  noble  Hudson  with  a  strait  named 
the  East  river,  (which  connects  Long  Island  sound  with  the  harbour,) 
the  bay  of  New  York  stretches  before  and  on  each  side  of  you,  as 
you  stand  on  the  battery,  unfolding  with  its  numerous  steamers  and 
other  vessels,  in  motion  or  at  anchor,  a  seaward  view  which  is  beau- 
tiful exceedingly.  Before  you  lies  Governor's  or  Nutton  Island,  with 
its  fortifications.  On  the  left  is  Brooklyn  on  Long  Island,  with 
its  elevated,  regularly  built  streets,  displaying  all  the  signs  of  the 
prosperity,  without  the  noise,  bustle,  and  confusion  of  New  York  it- 
self;  and  on  the  right  stands  Jersey  city,  also  a  rising  suburb  of 
New  York,  and  the  starting  point  for  Philadelphia  and  the  south. 
Altogether,  I  know  not  a  view  of  the  city  kind  that  has  gmtified  mo 
more.  But,  as  much  of  the  interest  depends  on  the  moving  nature 
of  the  panorama  which  stretches  before  you,  and  as  that  cannot  bo 
communicated  on  paper,  I  shall  not  attempt  a  more  detailed  descrip- 
tion, but  close  my  remarks  on  the  river  and  bay  scenery  of  New 
York,  by  observing  that,  whatever  disappointment  I  fell,  from  hav- 


260 


NEW  YORK. 


had  my  expectations  over-excited  as  to  tbe  architectural  beauty  of  the 
city,  was  more  than  compensated  by  the  gratification  afforded  by  the 
views  of  the  bay  and  of  the  harbour,  of  the  beauty  of  which  I  was 
surprised  I  had  heard  so  littlt. 

At  the  period  of  my  viBif,,  the  harbour  of  New  York  and  its  vicinity 
exhibited  signs  of  activity  e\3n  greater  than  usual,  from  the  large 
number  of  vesp-ils  which  were  then  in  progress  of  being  built.  Whe- 
ther tVe  activity  in  this  respect  had  anything  to  do  with  the  repeal 
by  England  of  her  Navigation  Laws,  I  had  no  means  of  accurately 
ascertaining.  The  opinions  expressed  by  the  different  practical  men 
in  America,  I  had  the  opportunity  vi  consulting  on  the  subject,  were 
very  various — as  also  were  the  opinions  they  expressed  as  to  the 
effect  of  the  measure  alluded  to  upon  England's  naval  supremacy  and 
general  prosperity — some  maintaining  that  the  repeal  was  destructive 
of  the  best  interests  of  Britain ;  others,  that  it  was  certain  to  advance 
them  very  greatly. 

Into  the  much-agitated  and  all-important  question  of  what  is  to  bo 
the  effect  of  that  repeal,  I  refrain  from  entering,  simply  because  of 
the  unappropriateness  of  its  discussion  in  a  work  of  this  nature.  Kut 
whatever  may  be  the  consequences  of  the  repeal  of  the  Navigation 
Laws  of  England,  and  whether  that  act  had  or  had  not  anything  to 
do  with  the  ship-building  activity  apparent  in  New  York  in  the 
month  of  June  1849,  the  fact  still  remains,  that  such  activity  was 
very  great.  At  the  time  of  which  I  write,  there  were  in  the  course 
of  building,  in  the  ship-building  yards  of  New  York,  at  least  twelve 
steamers.  Five  of  these  steamers  were  ships  of  3000  tons  each — 
two  of  these  five  at  least  were  intended  for  the  transatlantic  trade 
with  the  mother  country.  Among  the  other  seven  steamers,  there 
was  one  steamship  of  2200  tons — another  of  600  tons,  and  a 
third  of  400  tons :  the  remaining  four  were  steamers  of  the  smaller 
size,  intended  for  river  navigation  and  short  distances.  Of  sailing 
vessels  there  were  nearly  a  dozen  of  large  size  (above  a  thousand  tons 
each)  then  on  the  stocks,  besides  a  barque  of  600  tons  and  a  schooner 
of  150  tons.  These,  with  the  vessels  undergoing  repair,  created,  it 
may  readily  be  conceived,  a  bustle  and  activity,  in  the  ship-building 
department  at  New  York,  strongly  indicative  of  prosperity. 

When  nothing  better  is  to  be  had,  I  have  oftener  than  once 
found  interest,  if  not  amusement,  in  turning  over  the  pages  of  a 
Street  Directory.  Such  was  my  occupation  on  the  morning  of  the 
singularly  continuously  wet  day  which  succeeded  my  arrival  at  New 
York,  while  waiting  the  appearance  of  a  travelling  friend,  with  whom 
I  had  resolved  to  dare  the  elements  in  an  attempt  to  see  Haarlem 
aqueduct,  and  the  reservoir  of  the  Croton  water-works,  in  weather 
but  too  analogous  to  themselves.  And  I  am  sure  there  is  scarce  a 
city  in  the  world,  so  much  of  whoso  origin  and  history  is  to  be  found 


)eauty  of  the 
arded  by  the 
which  I  was 

id  its  vicinity 
om  the  large 
built.  Whe- 
th  the  repeal 
)f  accurately 
►ractical  men 
subject,  were 
;d  as  to  the 
premacy  and 
,s  destructive 
Q  to  advance 

ii^rhat  is  to  bo 

[y  because  of 

nature.  But 

}  Navigation 

,  anything  to 

STork  in  the 

activity  was 

n  the  course 

least  twelve 

tons  each — 

ilantic  trade 

amers,  there 

;ons,  and   a 

the  smaller 

Of  sailing 
lousand  tons 

a  schooner 
,  created,  it 
hip-building 

than  once 
pages  of  a 
ling  of  the 
ival  at  New 
with  whom 
e  Haarlem 
in  weather 
is  scarce  a 
to  be  found 


NEW  YORIC 


261 


imaged  forth  in  the  kind  of  names  to  be  found  in  its  Directory. 
French,  German,  Scotch,  Irish,  and  English  names  (but  the  latter 
predominating)  recurring  alternately,  and  in  reiterated  succession 
jostling  each  other,  proclaim  the  fact  that  New  York  has  been 
peopled  from  almost  all  the  countries  of  Europe,  but  chiefly  from 
Great  Britain,  just  as  plainly  as  such  names  as  those  of  Patience, 
Fear,  Christian,  Experience,  Jonathan,  Dearborn,  Elder,  and  the 
like,  so  often  yet  found  among  the  inhabitants  of  Plymouth  (Massa- 
chusetts) and  its  neighbourhood,  recall  the  memory  of  the  noble  and 
devoted  Puritans  who  crossed  the  Atlantic  in  the  little  Mayflower, 
in  search  of  that  liberty  of  conscience  and  of  worship,  unjustly  and 
unwisely  denied  them  by  an  unenlightened  monarch  and  government 
at  home — those  enlightened,  and  at  same  time  patriotic  emigrants, 
who,  carrying  with  them  that  love  of  country  which  forms  one  of  the 
best  feelings  of  the  human  heart,  named  their  first  settlement  in  the 
then  barbarous  land  of  their  adoption — their  far-ofif  home  across  the 
waters — by  the  name  of  Plymouth,  after  the  last  port  in  England 
from  which  they  had  sailed. 

New  York,  or  rather  the  island  on  which  it  stands,  was  first 
occupied  as  a  place  of  permanent  possession  (having  been  previously 
in  the  occupancy  of  a  very  fierce  tribe  of  native  Indians)  by  the 
Dutch  in  1615  j  but  so  little  did  it  for  a  long  time  progress,  that  in 
1677  it  is  said  to  have  contained  only  2000  inhabitants.  In  1800 
its  population  was  somewhat  above  60,000 ;  and  at  present  its  in- 
habitants number  above  400,000,  (in  1845  they  were  366,785,)— a 
rapidity  of  increase  nearly  paralleled  in  Great  Britian  by  that  of  the 
city  of  Glasgow,  which  at  the  date  of  the  Union  between  England 
and  Scotland  (1707)  had  but  14,000,  and  in  1791  only  66,578  in- 
habitants; while  at  present  it  contains  a  population  of  fully 
350,000 

But  the  parallel  between  New  York  and  Glasgow  might  be  carried 
much  beyond  a  comparison  in  point  of  population ;  and  it  is  aided, 
and  rendered  interesting  throughout,  by  the  fact  that  both  of  these 
cities  are  eminently  and  characteristically  mercantile — marts  of  com- 
merce and  emporiums  of  trade — and  that  there  are  not  to  be  found 
on  the  face  of  the  globe  any  two  cities  whose  commercial  prosperity 
is  more  associated  or  inseparable.  No  city  in  the  American  Union 
would  suffer  more  from  the  breaking  out  of  war  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  American  Republic,  were  so  unfortunate  an  event  to 
happen,  than  would  that  of  New  York ;  and  no  town  in  the  United 
Kingdom  would  sustain  more  injury  from  a  war  between  England 
and  America  than  would  the  city  of  Glasgow.  As  they  are  thus 
similar  in  their  interests,  as  well  as  in  their  prevailing  characteristics, 
it  is  interesting  to  observe  how  similar  New  York  and  Glasgow  have 
been  in  their  onward  progress.     Dating  the  commencement  of  its 


262 


NEW  YORK. 


existence  from  1615,  the  American  city  has — particularly  since  the 
date  of  the  English  acquisition,  and  still  more  since  the  era  of 
American  independence — increased  with  a  rapidity  which  now  enables 
it  to  rank  among  the  largest  emporiums  of  the  world,  there  being 
not  more  than  six  European  cities  of  larger  size.  So  far  as  yet  built, 
the  beaittiful  city  of  New  York  occupies  but  a  part  of  .Manhattan 
Island  J  but  the  ambitious  design  is,  that  it  should  eventually  fill  up 
the  whole  j  and  it  is  obviously  destined  to  bear  out  the  anticipation 
of  the  founders.  Some  idea  of  the  extent  to  which  New  York  will 
then  have  increased  may  be  {!;athered  from  the  fact  that  Manhattan 
Island  is  upwa  o  o^  >;rteen  miles  in  length,  with  an  average 
breadth  of  about  i  !\iVi  f»nd  contains  not  less  than  14,000  acres  of 
land.  This  islauti.  fojiuo  by  the  confluence  of  a  strait  called  the 
East  River,  with  the  iiudt:  ,  or  north  river,  is  generally  level,  and 
well  adapted  for  building ;  though  this  very  flatness  is  an  obstacle  to 
the  picturesque  beauty  of  the  town. 

The  position  of  New  York  on  the  map  of  the  world  points  it  out 
as  a  place  of  trade ;  and  of  its  past  success  and  present  progression, 
in  this  respect,  the  stranger  needs  no  further  evidence  than  a  glance 
at  its  noble  harbour  and  crowded  wharves,  or  a  visit  to  its  splendid 
customhouse — the  latter  a  building  of  the  Doric  order  of  architecture, 
covering  a  large  space  of  ground,  and  built  at  an  expense  of 
1,175,000  dollars,  (nearly  £240,000  sterling,)  including  in  this  sum 
the  price  paid  for  the  furniture  and  the  ground.  This  fact  of  the 
costliness  of  the  New  York  customhouse  reminds  me,  however,  of 
the  propriety  or  qualifying  the  above  observations,  by  remarking  that, 
although  Glasgow  may  stand  a  comparison  with  the  American  em- 
porium in  some  respects,  the  elegance  or  expense  of  her  customhouse 
is  certainly  not  among  them.  A  building  more  disproportioned  or 
inadequate  to  the  wants  of  the  community,  or  to  the  extent  of  busi- 
ness conducted  in  it,  than  ia  the  customhouse  at  Glasgow,  it  were 
difiicuit  to  find  in  any  town  in  the  world.  In  1811,  when  the  total 
amount  of  the  duties  of  customs  collected  at  Glasgow  were  only 
£3124  2s.  4Jd.,  or  even  up  to  1843  (in  which  year  the  amount  had 
increased  to  the  sum  of  £497,7281  Os.  2d.,  and  when  Glasgow  was 
advanced  from  a  second  class  to  a  first  class  port)  there  might  have 
been  some  apology  for  refusing  or  at  least  for  delaying,  to  make  the 
customhouse  a  handsome  building.  But  now,  when  the  duties  of 
customs  annually  collected  exceed  the  very  large  sum  of  £650,000 
sterling,  (much  more  than  the  whole  revenue  the  island  of  Cuba 
yields  to  Spain,)  it  were  surely  not  too  much  to  expect  that  the  pub- 
lic building  in  which  business  of  this  nature,  and  of  this  magnitude, 
is  transacted,  should  be  something,  at  least,  of  an  ornament  to  the 
city  in  which  it  is  placed. 

The  chief  object  in  view,  in  thus  drawing  a  comparison  between 


NF-W  YORK. 


263 


rly  since  tlie 
3  the  era  of 
a  now  enables 
,  there  being 
as  yet  built, 
»f  .Manhattan 
ntually  fill  up 
)  anticipation 
BW  York  will 
it  Manhattan 
an  average 
,000  acres  of 
lit  called  the 
lly  level,  and 
an  obstacle  to 

[  points  it  out 
t  progression, 
than  a  glance 
»  its  splendid 
■  architecture, 
n  expense  of 
ig  in  this  sum 
s  fact  of  the 
I,  however,  of 
marking  that, 
Lraerican  em- 
customhouse 
)portioned  or 
tent  of  busi- 
igow,  it  were 
hen  the  total 
»w  were  only 
)  amount  had 
Glasgow  was 
might  have 
to  make  the 
the  duties  of 
)f  £650,000 
nd  of  Cuba 
hat  the  pub- 
magnitude, 
mcnt  to  the 

son  between 


the  advancement  respectively  made  by  the  cities  of  New  York  and 
Glasgow,  was  not  only  to  illustrate  the  bond  of  connexion  which  so 
far  exists  between  the  two  that  the  one  may  be  almost  said  to  reflect 
the  prosperity  of  the  other ;  but  also  to  point  the  attention  of  our 
American  friends:  to  a  fact  which,  it  appeared  to  me,  some  of  them 
are  disposed  to  overlook — viz.,  to  the  fact  that  progression  has  not 
been  all  on  their  side  of  the  Atlantic :  while  they  have  been  going 
forward,  the  mother  country  has  certainly  not  been  standing  still. 
But  having  thus  alluded  to  the  subject,  it  may  neither  be  out  of 
place  nor  uninteresting  (particularly  now  that  a  direct  line  of  steam 
communication  is  about  to  be  opened  between  Glasgow  and  New 
York)  to  give  the  following  tabular  statement,  made  up  from  official 
documents,  to  which  I  have  had  access  through  the  kindness  of  the 
gentleman  in  charge  of  them,  showing  at  one  view,  and  for  diflfer'  t 
years,  the  porportions  existing  between  the  numbers  which  reprt;:.  nt 
the  population,  and  those  which  express  the  respective  amour  H  of 
the  duties  of  custom,  and  of  revenue,  of  the  river  connected  wi'.u  He 
city  of  Glasgow. 


Date. 

Population. 

Customhouse  Duties. 

Revenue  of       cr 

1811 

11,046 

£       8.  d. 

£        8.  d. 

1S16 

12C,000 

3,124     2     41 

4,755      3    8 

1821 

147,043 

8,890    18     1 

5,843      7     8 

1831 

202,426 

16,147   17     7 

8,070      2     2 

1841 

282,134 

68,741     6     9 

18,932      0     7 

1849 

about   850,000 

526,100     0   11 

50,666     19    2 

640,668  17   10 

59,034     14     1* 

The  above  facts  will  be  sufficient  to  test  the  soundness  of  my  posi- 
tion, that  there  is  much  ground  for  a  comparison  between  New  York 
and  Glasgow,  in  their  progress  and  advancement  in  commercial 
wealth  and  greatness,  as  well  as  to  satisfy  any  transatlantic  reader 
that  the  Old  Country  is  very  far  from  losing  ground  in  the  social  or 
commercial  race.  But  to  return  to  the  mercantile  metropolis  of  the 
great  republic. 

It  is  very  far  from  my  intention  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  what 
may  be  called  the  memorabilia  of  the  commercial  metropolis  of  Ame- 
rica; at  the  same  time  the  notice  of  a  few  of  the  more  prominent  of 
them  may  prove  not  uninteresting  or  unacceptable ;  and  their  descrip- 
tion will  at  all  events  show,  even  to  those  who  may  be  disposed 

♦  In  1847,  the  Customhouse  duties  collected  at  Glasgow,  amounted  to  the  still 
larger  sum  of  .£667,834,  Itis.  6d.  The  experience  of  tlie  opening  months  of  the 
current  year  leads  to  flie  conclusion,  that  the  amount  of  the  revenue  for  1850  will 
not  be  less  than  £700,000,  being  more  than  the  whole  revenue  of  England  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  ^^ 


2G4 


NEW  YORK. 


I!! 


to  regard  my  American  impressions  as  somewhat  too  favourable  and 
eulogistic,  that  it  was  at  least  my  endeavour  to  judge  for  myself — 
to  form  my  own  opinions  from  what  I  saw,  in  so  far  as  opportunity 
was  afforded  me  for  so  doing.  Whether  the  opportualties  afforded 
justify  the  opinions  expressed,  it  is  for  the  reader  to  determine. 

Some  writert,  have  drawn,  or  attempted  to  draw,  a  parallel  between 
London  and  New  York.  This  may  be  done,  but  it  is  scarcely  fair. 
Farther  than  in  their  being  severally  and  respectively  the  two  largest 
cities  in  Great  Britain  and  in  America,  there  is  no  proper  parallelism 
between  them.  To  talk  of  the  sighi3  and  scenes  in  New  York  as 
equally  interesting,  and  fully  as  extraordinary,  as  are  the  sights  and 
scenes  of  daily  exhibition  in  that  great  world  of  a  city  the  modern 
Babylon,  is  simply  nonsense — ^pure  nonsense.  Such  statements, 
describing  New  York  as  displaying  many  of  the  characteristics  of 
London,  generally  originate  in  a  desire  to  bepraise  the  former  city. 
They  usually  emanate  from  a  class  from  whose  exag/:  3rations  America 
and  American  society  have  suffered,  and  are  likel;y  to  suffer,  more  in 
European  estimation  than  they  have  ever  done  from  unjust  criticism 
of  the  many  fault-finders,  who  (adopting  old  Weller's  advice  to  Pick- 
wick) visit  the  United  States  only  to  come  back  and  write  a  book 
about  the  "  Merrikins  as  '11  pay  their  expenses  and  more,  if  they 
only  blows  'em  up  enough." 

The  gentlemen  referred  to  usually  visit  the  United  States  for  a 
purpose;  they  go  out  to  pick  up  facts  to  square  with  some  precon- 
ceived theory  of  politics  or  of  trade,  which  they  or  their  patrons  are 
previously  pledged  to  support.  Everything  is  seen,  or  at  least 
reported,  under  the  influence  of  a  spirit  of  exaggeration.  On  the  one 
hand,  merely  trifling  defects  become  abominable  deformities ;  while, 
on  the  other,  those  things  which  are  simply  mentionable  as  worthy 
of  being  recorded,  are  dignified  into  marvels  to  be  commented  on 
with  admiration.  Thus  it  is  that  an  attempt  has  been  made  to 
describe  the  Whirl  of  Life  exhibited  in  New  York  as  like  the  extra- 
ordinary scene  daily  witnessed  in  that  largest  and  most  wonderful 
of  all  large  cities — the  city  of  London :  but  the  comparison  is  extra- 
vagant. 

No  doubt,  there  are  some  points  of  accordance  and  similarity 
between  New  York  and  London.  Of  these  the  number  of  omni- 
buses is  one.  On  application  to  official  authority,  I  find  that 
there  are  fully  one  thousand  licensed  omnibuses  now  plying  in 
the  streets  of  the  modern  Babylon.  In  summer  and  winter,  the 
prrticular  description  of  omnibus,  as  well  as  the  routes  of  travel, 
varies  a  little,  there  being  in  spring  and  summer  more  of  what  are 
considered  country  vehicles,  (omnibuses  going  to  a  distance,)  and, 
in  winter,  more  of  those  which  confine  themselves  to  the  streets 
of  the  town.     But  as  a  general  rule,  the  total  number  travelling 


NEW  YORK. 


205 


vourable  and 
for  myself-— 
I  opportunity 
ilties  afforded 
termine. 
rallel  between 
scarcely  fair, 
[le  two  largest 
er  parallelism 
New  York  as 
he  sights  and 
r  the  modern 
li  statements, 
racteristics  of 
e  former  city, 
tions  America 
luffcr,  more  in 
njust  criticism 
idvico  to  Pick- 
write  a  book 
more,  if  they 

d  States  for  a 
I  some  precon- 
iir  patrons  are 
,  or  at  least 
1.  On  the  one 
mitiesj  while, 
ble  as  worthy 
iommented  on 

een  made  to 
Jke  the  extra- 
lost  wonderful 

rison  is  extra- 

|nd  similarity 
iber  of  omni- 
I  find  that 
low  plying  in 
id  winter,  the 
[tes  of  travel, 
[e  of  what  are 
istance,)  and, 
[o  the  streets 
jer  travelling 


the  streets  of  London  is  about  a  thousand.  Almost  all  these  ve- 
hicles are  licensed  to  carry  thirteen  passengers  inside,  and  nino 
out ;  and  (as  may  bo  gathered  from  their  success  and  increase) 
they  receive  a  very  large  amount  of  public  patronage.  Now,  re- 
gard being  had  to  the  size  of  New  York,  the  number  of  such  vehi- 
cles in  it  is  fully  as  great.  In  a  number  of  the  New  York  Post  of 
November  1849,  it  is  stated  by  a  correspondent,  (who  described 
himself  as  an  "  old  driver  of  a  New  York  omnibus  in  one  of  the 
oldest  routes  of  that  city,  for  a  term  of  seven  years,")  that  the 
entire  number  then  plying  in  the  streets  of  New  York,  was  376; 
and,  large  as  the  number  is,  I  fully  credit  the  statement.  Stand- 
ing at  the  door  of  Delmonico's  hotel  in  Broadway,  past  which 
most  of  the  omnibuses  drive,  I  have  noted  the  passing  of  eighteen 
crowded  omnibuses  within  the  period  of  five  minutes.  It  did  not, 
however,  appear  to  me  that  the  number  of  street  carriages  for  oc- 
casional hire  were  as  great  in  New  York  as  might  have  been  ex- 
pected in  a  city  of  the  size,  and  this  possibly  may,  in  some  mea- 
sure, account  for  the  unusually  large  proportion  of  omnibuses.  In 
London,  the  number  of  carriages  for  hire  is  very  great — so  great 
that  in  this  present  year  (1850)  there  are  already  no  less  than 
2864  coaches  and  cabs  licensed  for  public  accommodation. 

Among  the  notabilia  of  New  York  I  would  include  the  hotels — 
the  hotels  as  a  class.  It  is  not  my  intention  to  enumerate  them  j 
but  if  the  European  traveller  visiting  New  York  has  an  extra  day 
or  two  to  spend  in  sight-seeing,  I  recommend  him  to  devote  it  or 
them  to  a  ramble  through  the  public  rooms,  and  to  a  general  in- 
spection of  the  hotels.  I  venture  to  predict  that  the  result  will 
repay  the  trouble,  and  give  him  some  new  notions  of  the  people 
he  has  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  see. 

Who  has  not  heard  of  the  water-works  of  New  York  ? — those 
works  which,  in  Yankee  phrase,  are  said  to  be  capable  of  supply- 
ing water  to  drown  all  creation.  An  account  of  a  visit  to  the  chief 
emporium  of  the  New  World  would  certainly  be  incomplete,  were 
it  not  to  contain  some  account  of  this  extensive  and  extremely 
useful  undertaking.  The  Croton  water-works  of  New  York — so 
called  from  the  name  of  the  river  whence  they  take  their  rise — 
commence  at  a  distance  of  nearly  40  miles  from  the  city.  At  this 
place  the  waters  are  collected  by  a  dam  of  250  teet  long,  40  feet 
high,  70  feet  wide  at  the  bottom,  and  7  feet  wide  at  the  top. 
Thence,  tunneling  and  embanking  bring  the  waters  to  the  Haar- 
lem river,  over  which  it  is  carried  by  an  aqueduct  bridge  of  1400 
feet  long,  at  an  elevation  of  114  feet  above  tide-mark.  From  the 
bridge  the  water  is  conveyed  (still  by  a  covered  archway)  to  what 
is  called  the  receiving  reservoir,  which  is  situated  in  Eighty-sixth 
street,  38  miles  distant  from  the  Croton  dam.     This  reservoir  is 

23 


200 


NEW  YORK. 


#^ 


divided  into  two  compartments  or  ponds,  and  is  said  (and  the  ap- 
pearance seems  to  justify  the  statement)  to  contain  150,000,000 
gallons  of  water,  and  to  cover  35  acres  of  land.  From  the  re- 
cei\Ing  reservoir,  the  waters  are  conveyed  to  the  distributing 
reservoir  at  Fortieth  street.  The  distributing  reservoir  covers  four 
acres,  and  is  said  to  contain  20,000,000  gallons  of  water.  The 
whole  undertaking  is  on  the  gravitation  principle,  the  descent 
being  at  the  average  rate  of  about  13^  inches  per  mile.  The 
water  is  good,  though  it  seemed  to  me  somewhat  brownish ;  and 
it  is  said  that  the  supply  is  equivalent  to  about  60,000,000  gallons 
in  the  twenty-four  hours  !  The  whole  cost  of  the  work  was  nearly 
14,000,000  dollars — greatly  more  than  double  the  amount  of  the 
original  estimate. 

The  above  general  description  will  enable  the  reader  to  judge  of 
the  magnitude  of  this  noble  undertaking.  The  bridge  over  Haar- 
lem river  is  a  great  achievement  of  architectural  and  mechanical 
skill — even  in  these  days  of  engineering  wonders.  But  it  is  the 
enlightened  policy  which  dictated  such  a  work  tha^  is  the  most 
commendable  part  of  the  aifair.  An  ample  supply  of  water  is  of 
the  very  first  consequence  to  the  increase  of  a  large  town ;  and,  in 
so  far  anticipating  the  growth  of  the  city  and  the  wants  of  the 
inhabitants,  the  promoters  of  the  Croton  water-works  showed  a 
far-sighted  wisdom,  which  is  worthy  of  all  praise  and  imitation. 
The  undertaking  was  a  public  one,  and  the  expense  defrayed  from 
the  city  charter-chest,  and  it  is  probably  a  fortunate  circumstance 
that  the  actual  cost  was  not  foreseen.  Even  as  it  was,  the  citizens 
were  by  no  means  unanimous  in  wishing  it  undertaken.  Out  of 
the  17,330  who  voted  on  the  subject,  nearly  6000  votes  were 
against  the  incurring  of  the  expense.  At  first,  the  undertaking 
was  not  a  remunerating  one ;  now,  there  is  a  very  fair  revenue  for 
the  amount  expended. 

When  passing  the  dismantled  Opera  House  of  New  York,  I  was 
reminded  of  the  very  disgraceful  riot  of  which  it  was  the  scene, 
and  in  part  the  cause,  and  which  had  its  origin  in  disputes  between 
Mr.  Macready  and  Mr.  Forrest,  or  rather  in  the  attack  of  the  lat- 
ter upon  the  former.  This  popular  disturbance  occurred  but  a 
very  short  time  before  my  arrival  in  the  city ;  and,  together  with 
the  Canadian  disturbances,  and  the  running  down  of  the  steamer 
Empire  City,  in  the  North  River,  (by  which  upwards  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  persons  were  drowned,)  it  formed  the  prevailing 
topic  of  general  conversation  in  New  York.  But  it  is  not  to  in- 
troduce any  opinion  of  my  own  that  I  have  made  mention  of  this 
matter  of  the  riot  at  the  New  York  Opera  House  in  May  1849. 
It  is  to  pay  what  I  feel  to  be  a  deserved  tribute  to  the  New  York 
press  that  I  have  done  so.     With  one  unworthy  exception,  I  did 


NEW  YORK. 


2G7 


(and  the  ap- 
i  150,000,000 
From  the  re- 
5  distributing 
)ir  covers  four 
'  water.  The 
!,  the  descent 
3r  mile.  The 
rownish ;  and 
[)0,000  gallons 
)rk  was  nearly 
imount  of  the 

ler  to  judge  of 
Ige  over  Haar- 
ad  mechanical 

But  it  is  the 
la^i  is  the  most 
of  w^ater  is  of 
town ;  and,  in 
i  wants  of  the 
)rks  showed  a 
and  imitation, 
defrayed  from 

circumstance 
as,  the  citizens 
akcn.     Out  of 

0  votes  were 
e  undertaking 
lir  revenue  for 

w  York,  I  was 
iras  the  scene, 
jputes  between 
ick  of  the  lat- 
)ccurred  but  a 
together  with 
f  the  steamer 
Is  of  one  hun- 
the  prevailing 

1  is  not  to  iu- 
ention  of  this 
in  May  1849. 
he  New  York 
ception,  I  did 


not  hit  upon  a  single  paper  that  took  anything  save  a  very  dispas- 
sionate view  of  the  affair,  or  that  unworthily  attempted  to  make 
the  subject  a  pretext  for  inflaming  party  or  national  jealousy. 
Several  of  them  professed  the  view  that  the  disturbance  in  ques- 
tion had  a  deeper  seat,  and  a  more  hidden  origin,  than  the  mere 
quarrel  or  difference  in  opinion  between  or  about  the  two  votaries 
of  Thespis ;  but,  with  the  exception  I  have  alluded  to,  I  did  not 
observe  that  any  of  the  newspapers  sought  to  make  an  unworthy 
use  of  the  supposed  cause  of  the  disturbance ;  while  many  of  them 
ridiculed  the  attempt  made  by  the  excepted  print  to  give  to  the 
quarrel  the  air  of  a  national  dispute.  And  well  they  might ;  for 
surely,  and  on  whatever  side  the  justice  of  the  quarrel  may  be 
supposed  to  lie,  it  would  be  as  reasonable  to  make  a  quarrel  be- 
tween any  two  men  in  any  rank  of  life,  however  humble,  the  one 
an  Englishman  and  the  other  an  American,  a  cause  of  national 
jealousy,  as  it  would  be  so  to  dignify  a  dispute  between  two  actors, 
however  eminent  in  their  calling  they  be.  But  it  was  not  only  in 
this  way  that  the  generality  qf  the  American  pr^ss  displayed  their 
candour  in  relation  to  this  affair.  Having,  on  other  subjects,  seen 
in  some  papers  such  a  truckling  to  mobocracy,  and  such  an  echo- 
ing of  the  mere  prejudices  of  the  people  in  favour  of  anything 
connected  with  their  own  side  of  the  Atlantic,  as  did  not  give  me 
a  very  high  opinion  of  the  newspaper  press  of  America,  I  confess 
I  was  agreeably  pleased  to  find  that  so  many  of  them  came  forth 
so  decidedly  and  at  once,  in  vindication  of  Mr.  Macready,  and  in 
reprobation  of  their  own  countryman — ^pleased,  not,  I  trust,  be- 
cause Mr.  Forrest  was  condemned,  but  because  the  defence  of 
Macready  argued  a  love  of  fair  play,  which  I  would  fain  believe 
animates  Jonathan  the  son,  in  America,  as  much  as  it  does,  and 
always  has  done,  John  Bull  the  father,  in  Old  England.  The  fol- 
lowing passage  from  the  Neiv  York  Police  Gazette  of  19  th  May 
1849,  which  might  be  paralleled  by  quotations  from  sundry  other 
New  York  papers,  will  explain  my  meaning : — 

"  The  question,"  says  the  editor  of  that  print,  when  investigat- 
ing the  causes  which  led  to  the  riot,*  and  consequent  destruction 
of  the  Opera  House,  '  is  :  who  bred  the  mischief,  and  who  set  its 
malevolent  spirit  on  the  face  of  the  waters  ?  These  were  the  evil- 
doerj ;  and  to  these,  wherever  we  may  find  them,  and  whoever  they 

•  The  dil 
division  of  I 

of  artillery,  -  -  .  „ 
the  danger  of  a  mobocracy  in  a  republic.  Beginning  from  an  apparently  trivial 
cause,  the  riot  lasted  for  about  six  hours,  and  it  was  not  quelled  until  twenty-two 
persons  were  killed  and  above  thirty  wounded — many  of  the  latter  mortally.  The 
trial  of  the  rioters  lasted  thi*ee  weeks;  and  the  principal  ringleader  was  condemuetl 
to  one  year's  imprisonment,  in  addition  to  a  fine  of  250  dollars — a  most  inadequate 
punishment,  surely,  for  buch  au  oftence. 


268 


NEW  YORK. 


may  be,  are  we  to  turn  with  the  complaints  that  strive  within  us, 
and  to  look  to  for  ultimate  satisfaction. 

"  We  are  no  public  accuser,  but  we  do  not  hesitate  to  involve 
ourself  so  fai  with  contradiction,  as  to  charge  this  mischief  upon 
Mr.  Forrest,  and  Mr.  Forrest  only,  and  to  hold  him  answerable,  in 
our  resentments  as  a  citizen,  for  all  the  evil  that  has  taken  place. 

"  It  is  he  who,  having,  in  his  conceit,  attributed  to  a  brother 
actor  an  opposition  which  was  the  caprice  of  undirected  public 
taste,  projected  a  quarrel,  or  rather  a  system  of  assault,  tha*  xjv> 
has  maintained  with  vicious  pertinacity  for  years,  and  to  which,  for 
the  purpose  of  subsidizing  prejudice,  he  has  sought  to  give  the  colour 
of  a  national  dispute. 

"  The  public,  however,  fully  understood  his  aim ;  and,  despite 
Mr.  Forrest's  coarse  inflammatory  letters,  were  determined  to  take 
no  notice  of  the  matter.  It  was  plainly  a  private  quarrel.  Mr. 
Macready  was  unaccused  of  a  single  word  derogatory  to  American 
institutions  or  American  character,  and  every  community  in  which 
the  fivals  had  appeared,  until  their  arrival  in  New  York,  very  sen- 
sibly seemed  to  think  Forrest  was  big  enough  and  rude  enough  to 
fight  his  own  battles  for  himself,  and  more  particularly  as  Mr. 
Macready,  after  a  single  explanation,  had  made  Jiim  no  reply." 

I  would  prosecute  my  description  of  the  celebrities  or  memorabilia 
of  New  York,  were  it  not  that  personal  experience  teaches  me  that 
such  details  are  not  in  general  very  interesting  in  the  perusal.  Con- 
tenting myself,  therefore,  with  the  following  remarks — viz.,  that  I 
did  not  find  Broadway  either  so  broad  a  way,  or  so  straight  a  way,  or 
so  shady  a  way,  or  so  well  paved  a  way,  as  the  glowing  accounts  of 
others  had  led  me  to  anticipate — that  a  hurried  visit  to  New  York 
University,  with  my  friend  Mr.  Kimball,  delighted  me  very  greatly 
— that,  of  all  the  architectural  beauties  of  New  York,  the  tower  and 
spire  of  the  old  Trinity  Church  (situated  in  Broadway,  and  the 
successor  of  the  original  structure  of  the  same  name  founded  in 
1696,  during  the  reign  of  William  and  Mary)  has  left  a  most  pleas- 
ing and  abiding  impression  on  my  mind  of  its  exceedingly  chaste 
architectural  beauty — and  that  the  City  Hall,  though,  on  the  whole, 
(combining  situation  with  extent  and  ornament,)  the  finest  erection 
in  the  city,  did  not  please  my  eye  half  so  much  as  some  other 
buildings  of  lesser  pretension  and  note,  I  shall  proceed  with  my 
narrative  by  observing,  that  it  was  on  a  very  lovely  afternoon,  at 
four  o'clock,  that  I  started  from  New  York  for  Philadelphia. 

There  are  two  routes,  either  of  which  the  traveller  may  pursue, 
in  going  to  rniladelphia ;  and  while  I  went  the  one  way,  and  re- 
turned by  the  other,  I  cannot  say  that  I  saw  any  ground  for  a 
preference  of  the  one  over  the  other.  The  one  (that  by  which  I 
went)  is  by  steamer,  through  Statcn  Island  Sound  and  llaritau 


PHILADELPHIA. 


269 


e  within  us, 

B  to  involve 
ischief  upon 
iswerable,  in 
aken  place.  , 
to  a  brother 
ected  public 
ault,  tha*  xiO 
to  which,  for 
ive  the  colour 

and,  despite 
lined  to  take 
uarrel.     Mr. 
to  American 
aity  in  which 
)rk,  very  son- 
de enough  to 
ilarly  as  Mr. 
no  reply." 
•  memorabilia 
Lches  me  that 
3erusal.  Con- 
— viz.,  that  I 
ight  a  way,  or 
g  accounts  of 
to  New  York 
3  very  greatly 
he  tower  and 
jv^ay,  and  the 
B  founded  in 
a  most  plcas- 
iingly  chaste 
on  the  whole, 
inest  erection 
some  other 
leed  with  my 
afternoon,  at 
elphia. 
may  pursue, 
way,  and  re- 
ground  for  a 
by  which  I 
and  llaritau 


Bay,  and  onwards  by  the  Camden  and  Amboy  Railway ;  the  other 
is  by  steam  ferry  to  Jersey  city,  and  thence  by  railway,  crossing 
the  Delaware  to  Philadelphia  by  means  of  a  ferry.  Both  routes 
are  cheap,  good,  and  comfortable.  The  sail  through  Staten  Island 
Sound  and  Raritan  Bay  is  pleasing,  although  the  banks  are  gene- 
rally low,  and  consequently  tame.  The  country  on  either  side  is 
well  cultivated,  and  sundry  small  towns  or  villages  are  from  time 
to  time  seen.  There  are  also  a  variety  of  neat  villas,  or  gentle- 
men's seats.  Some  of  these  are  of  course  handsomer  than  the 
rest,  and  several  of  them  display  much  taste  and  elegance,  both  as 
regards  situation  and  construction.  But  comparing  such  places 
with  those  to  be  seen  in  nearly  every  part  of  Great  Britain,  it  were 
certainly  not  inaccurate  to  describe  them  as  being,  in  general,  of  a 
medium  character.  Indeed,  I  would  say,  as  regards  the  whole  of 
the  American  Union,  that  its  prevailing  characteristic  is  a  hand- 
some mediocrity — ^nothing  either  very  high  or  very  low ;  so  that 
if,  on  the  one  hand,  you  are  but  very  seldom  disheartened  and  dis- 
tressed by  those  exhibitions  of  poverty  so  frequently  to  be  seen  in 
the  large  cities  of  older  and  more  thickly-peopled  countries,  you 
miss  also,  as  ornaments  in  the  landscape,  those  noble  mansions, 
palaces,  castles,  and  baronial  halls,  which  give  such  a  finish  to  an 
English  scene — adorning  the  view,  and  at  the  same  time  carrying 
the  mind  back  into  the  past  with  a  flood  of  historic  reminiscences. 
The  comparative  merits  and  advantages  of  the  two  states  of  things 
will  be  judged  of  by  each  reader  according  to  his  or  her  peculiar 
prepossessions.  But  the  contrast  between  the  two  countries  might 
be  carried  out  in  the  same  way,  and  to  the  same  result,  in  reference 
to  many  other  matters  besides  the  country-seats  of  their  wealthier 
classes. 

Arrived  at  South  Amboy,  a  distance  of  twenty-eight  miles  from 
New  York,  you  proceed  at  once  by  railway  to  Ca-niden,  a  distance 
of  sixty-one  miles,  and  then,  crossing  the  Delaware  by  steamboat, 
you  at  once  find  yourself  in  the  Quaker  and  Quaker-like  city  of 

PHILADELPHIA, 

built  on  the  space  of  ground  lying  between  the  rivers  Delaware 
and  Schuylkill,  and  at  the  confluence  of  the  latter  stream  with  the 
former.  Philadelphia,  albeit  mainly  built  of  brick,  is  nevertheless 
a  very  fine  city.  The  white  marble  steps  and  facings  to  the  base- 
ment stories  of  the  private  houses,  give  to  the  whole  town  an  air 
of  peculiar  elegance.  It  is  clean  to  a  degree,  and  it  is  regular 
almost  to  a  fault — so  methodical,  that  the  rude  sketch  of  it  con- 
tained in  the  common  road-book  looks  like  a  multiplication-table. 
The  streets  are  in  straight  lines,  those  running  north  and  south 

.  23* 


270 


PHILADELPHIA. 


being  at  right  angles  with  those  running  east  and  west.  There  is 
even  a  precision  and  a  regularity  in  the  manner  in  which  they  are 
numbered  or  Lu,med — those  streets  whose  direction  is  north  and 
south  being  numbered  as  first,  second,  third,  &c.,  while  those  run- 
ning at  right  angles  to  them  are  named  after  trees,  as  Walnut, 
Chestnut,  &c.  Philadelphia  seemed  to  me  as  if  it  had  been  laid 
down  by  a  professor  of  mnemonics,  in  an  endeavor  to  ascertain 
how  far  it  was  practicable  so  to  lay  out  a  great  city,  as  to  render 
it  utterly  impossible  for  the  most  obtuse  stranger  to  lose  his  way 
in  it.  There  is  a  large,  broad  street,  called  Matket  Street — so 
named,  from  the  purpose  to  which  the  central  space  in  it  is  de- 
voted ;  and  instead  of  feeling  the  presence  of  such  a  name  an 
incongruity  amidst  the  other  numerical  and  botanical  ones,  you 
feel  it  to  be  a  relief,  as  breaking,  to  a  small  extent,  the  unvarying 
sameness  and  uniformity. 

Some  of  the  principal  streets  in  Thiladelphia  are  shaded  with 
trees ;  and  I  observed  at  least  one  sq  lare  which  was  all  planted,  over 
and  throughout,  with  a  view  to  shade — a  hint  that  might  be  advan- 
tageously acted  on,  as  regards  some  of  the  s(|uares  in  the  towns  of 
the  West  Indian  Islands.  This  tree-planted  square  in  Philadelphia 
was  a  genuine  square,  although  some  of  the  framers  of  the  city  seem 
to  have  entertained  somewhat  heterodox  notions  of  what  constitutes 
a  square ;  and  the  only  occasion  on  which  I  was  at  any  loss  to  find  a 
locality  in  this  distractingly  regular  city,  was  when  I  proceeded  to 
deliver  to  a  lady  resident,  a  letter  of  introduction  I  had  been  honour- 
ed with  from  her  son,  a  highly  intelligent  merchant,  carrying  on 
business  both  in  London  and  in  New  York.  The  letter  was  ad- 
dressed Portico  Square;  and  it  was  only  by  diligent  inquiry  that  I 
found  that  Portico  Square  was  nothing  more  than  one  side  of  a  very 
handsome  street  of  private  dwelling-houses,  the  square  being  con- 
stituted by  the  buildings  as  they  fronted  to  each  side  of  four  dif- 
ferent streets. 

No  town  in  the  United  States  offers  more  objects  to  interest  the 
stranger  than  does  the  Quaker  City.  The  Fairmount  Water-works, 
and,  adjoining,  the  wire  suspension-bridge;  the  State  House,  which 
contains  a  very  good  loooden  statue  of  Washington,  and  in  which  the 
visitor  is  shown  the  room  where  the  Declaration  of  Independence 
was  signed;  the  Exchange,  a  very  handsome,  imposing  edifice,  but 
with  only  a  very  smull  portion  of  it  applied  to  the  purposes  of  a 
news-room;  the  beautiful  cemetery  at  Laurel-hill,  and  the  institution 
called  Girard  College,  besides  various  other  buildings,  objects,  and 
places,  of  scarcely  less  attraction,  are  well  worthy  of  being  visited, 
and  will  very  amply  repay  the  trouble  required  by  visiting  them. 
Leaving,  however,  most  of  these  objects  of  attraction  to  the  very 
general,  and,  of  course,  solely  laudatory  description  of  them  contained 


PHILADELPHIA. 


271 


;t.  There  is 
lich  they  are 
is  north  and 
lie  those  run- 
i,  as  Walnut, 
ad  been  laid 

to  ascertain 
as  to  render 
lose  his  way 
jt  Street — so 

in  it  is  de- 
h.  a  name  an 
;al  ones,  you 
he  unvarying 

shaded  with 

planted,  over 

ght  be  advan- 

the  towns  of 

Philadelphia 

the  city  seem 

at  constitutes 

loss  to  find  a 

proceeded  to 

been  honour- 

,  carrying  on 

etter  was  ad- 

nquiry  that  I 

side  of  a  very 

re  being  con- 

e  of  four  dif- 

interest  the 

Water-works, 

House,  which 

in  which  the 

Independence 

edifice,  but 
)urpo8cs  of  a 
he  institution 

objects,  and 
being  visited, 
visiting  them. 

to  the  very 
lem  contained 


in  the  guide-books,  I  shall  here  content  myself  "^r'-ch  a  few  obser- 
vations on  the  Laurel-hill  Cemetery  and  the  Girard  College,  both 
because  they  are  among  the  most  recent  of  the  additions  to  the 
Quaker  City,  and  because  they  attracted  most  of  my  own  attention 
during  the  time  I  spent  in  it. 

The  cemetery  at  Laurel-hill,  Philadelphia,  stands  at  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  city,  and  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Schuylkill.  Even 
in  America,  a  country  certainly  distinguished  by  the  exceeding  beauty 
of  the  last  resting-places  for  the  remains  of  the  departed,  it  is  one  of  the 
most  singularly  beautiful  and  appropriately  quiet  spots  that  fancy  can 
conceive.  It  covers  a  large  space  of  ground,  very  tastefully  laid  off 
and  planted ;  and,  without  containing  any  monuments  of  great  or 
eclipsing  excellence,  it  has  some  of  exceeding  beauty  and  touching 
pathos.  On  entering,  the  visitor  from  Scotland  is  gratified  by  meet- 
ing with  Them's  stone  statues  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  and  of  Old  Mor- 
tality with  his  pony,  which  have  here  found  a  resting-place  on  the 
other  side  of  the  Atlantic.  The  monuments  are  generally,  if  not 
exclusively,  (for  I  remember  not  a  single  exception,)  composed  of  the 
white  marble  which  abounds  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  which  is 
exceedingly  beautiful,  although  it  does  not  seem  to  take  on  a  very 
high  polish.  Among  these  monuments  there  are,  as  the  reader  may 
probably  anticipate,  the  usual  proportion  of  broken  pitchers,  shattered 
columns,  quenched  torches,  sleeping  lambs,  weeping  willows,  and 
doves  about  to  stretch  their  wings  in  flight,  to  be  found  in  "uch 
places.  Two  tombs,  erected  to  the  memory  of  children,  are  beauti- 
ful in  their  simplicity.  The  one  contains  the  simple  inscription 
"  Our  Mary ;"  while  the  other  consists  of  a  column  on  a  basement 
with  the  Christian  names  of  the  three  children  to  whose  memory  it 
is  erected  (as  "  Jane,"  "  Charles,"  "  Frederick,")  engraven  on  it, 
each  name  within  a  wreath  of  sculptured  flowers.  On  the  top  was 
the  oft-repeated  emblem  of  a  sleeping  lamb,  and  below  was  the  quo- 
tation from  Holy  writ — 

"  Of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  Heaven." 

The  visitor  to  Philadelphia  who  omits  to  visit  the  cemetery  at 
Laurel-hill  will  have  cause  to  regret  his  omission. 

The  institution  called  Girard  College  deserves  separate  mention, 
not  only  for  the  two  reasons  above  assigned,  but  also  on  another  and 
a  different  ground — viz.,  because  of  the  controversy  of  which  it  has 
been  made  the  text,  as  well  in  this  country  as  in  America. 

The  Girard  College,  Philadelphia,  is  situated  about  a  mile  from 
the  centre  of  the  town.  It  is  a  handsome  building  of  the  Grecian 
character,  consisting  of  a  centre  and  two  separate  compartments  on 
either  side;  the  whole  being  surrounded  by  a  wall,  enclosing  a  apace 
of  ground  little  short  of  fifty  acres.     The  centre  building  is  the  one 


272 


PHILADELPHIA. 


which  peculiarly  constitutes  the  College,  being  devoted  to  the  pur- 
poses of  education.  It  is,  indeed,  a  very  magnificent  pile,  having  a 
front  of  about  two  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  length,  and  being 
surrounded  by  thirty-four  white  marble  pillars,  supporting  an  entab- 
lature. The  roof  is  of  the  same  material  as  the  walls  of  the  build- 
ing. The  erections  on  each  side — in  all  four  in  number — are  intended 
for  the  residence  of  the  scholars,  the  teachers,  and  professors. 
The  whole  is  a  very  handsome  affair  j  but  were  I  disposed  to  be 
critical,  I  would  say  that  there  appears  to  be  an  undue  striving  after 
an  extra  degree  of  plainness  and  stoical  simplicity  in  some  parts, 
which  is  not  quite  in  keeping  with  the  general  unity  of  the  design. 

On  inquiring  particularly  into  the  history  of  this  institution,  chiefly 
with  the  view  of  comparing  it  with  the  many  institutions  similar  in 
their  general  character  which  are  to  be  found  in  my  native  comttry 
of  Scotland,  and  particularly  in  Edinburgh,  I  had  a  copy  of  the  will 
of  "  Stephen  Girard,  Esquire,"  put  into  my  hands,  accompanied  by 
certain  information,  of  which  the  following  statements  embodj  the 
import : — 

Mr.  Girard,  who  in  his  will  describes  himself  as  "  mariner  ^i* 
merchant,"  was  born  at  Bordeaux,  iu  France,  whency,  in  voiv  e  *r  v 
life,  ho  proceeded  first  to  the  West  Indies,  and  thereafter  to  iVew 
York,  where  he  arrived  somewhere  about  the  year  1775,.  Tr>  the 
capacity  of  mate  to  a  trading  vessel.  From  New  York,  anu  after 
passing  through  various  scenes,  and  engaging  in  di  Terent  occup.  ons, 
all  of  a  very  humble  kind,  Mr.  Girard  proceeded,  in  1' '  ':',  to  j'h'ia- 
delphia,  and  commenced  trade  there,  by  keeping  a  kind  of  -'  old 
curiosity  shop" — dealing  in  old  ir  i  and  old  rigging.  It  were  foreign 
to  the  object  of  this  book  to  folicnv  h" ;  creer  minutely,  nor  would 
the  doing  so  repay  the  labour :  suflTuo  it  fo  ?  ly  that,  by  industry  and 
frugality,  allied  no  doubt  to  iiigh  intigvi^.y  nad  a  far-seeing  policy  as 
a  merchant,  Mr.  Girard  rose  to  the  position  of  one  of  the  very  first 
merchants  and  most  opulent  bankers  in  the  country  of  his  adoption^ 
or  indeed  in  the  world ;  and  accumulated  so  large  a  fortune  that,  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  on  2Gth  December,  1831,  the  pecuniary  amount 
he  left  behind  him  was  estimated  at  the  sum  of  from  twelve  to  thir- 
teen millions  of  dollars,  or  from  about  £2,500,000  to  £2,708,333 
sterling.  To  the  end  of  his  earthly  career  (and,  although  the  dai'e 
of  his  birth  is  involved  in  some  obscurity,  his  age,  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  could  not  have  been  much  less  than  the  patriarchal  one  of 
r.'"ne<y-five)  Mr.  Girard  was  devoted  to  trade ;  so  much  so,  that  it  is 
Bald  in  tie  sketch  of  his  life,  from  which  some  of  the  statistics  of 
thio  brief  notice  of  him  are  taken,  that  his  recreation  was  business, 
aud  llutc  he  *' died  with  Mrness  on  his  back."  The  observation  is 
♦b  "Vu  r.i'\d!»  eu  o^isticully,  but  I  dare  say  there  are  few  reflecting  men 
ntm  wilt  think  the  culugy  well  bestowed.    It  ma^  have  been  Mr. 


PHILADELPHIA. 


273 


to  the  pur- 
ile,  having  a 
1,  and  being 
Qg  an  entab- 
>f  the  build- 
are  intended 
I  professors, 
posed  to  be 
triving  after 
some  parts, 
the  design, 
ition,  chiefly 
IS  similar  in 
,tive  couKiry 
^  of  the  will 
nnpanied  by 
embodj  the 

'mariner  sji* 
n  voi'V  eur'v 
ite-f  to  Fdw 
;  t,i.  :•'   T.uu 
c,  ami  after 
occiip.    ons, 
1?^  to  j'ii,' la- 
nd of  ■■'  old 
were  foreign 
r,  nor  would 
ndustry  and 
ng  policy  as 
ho  very  first 
lis  adoption y 
une  that,  at 
liary  amo\mt 
elve  to  thir- 
£2,708,333 
gh  the  date 
time  of  his 
chal  one  of 
I,  that  it  is 
statistics  of 
as  business, 
servatiou  is 
lecting  men 
been  Mr. 


Girard's  fate  to  have  been  involved  in  business  and  engrossed  with 
the  affairs  of  time  up  to  the  last,  the  all-important  hour,  when  the 
"  golden  bowl  was  broken  and  the  silver  cord  loosed,"  and  his  spirit 
took  its  flight  to  the  God  that  gave  it,  to  render  an  account  of  the 
deeds  done  in  the  body ;  and  the  fact  that  so  it  was  may  not,  and 
should  not,  render  any  one  a  whit  less  sensible  to  Mr.  Girard's 
services  to  the  great  cause  of  education,  or  to  the  many  claims  he 
has  upon  the  gratitude  of  the  inhabitants  of  his  adopted  country. 
But  it  is  to  my  mind  a  strange  circumstance  to  chronicle,  as  one 
that  tends  to  increase  the  halo  that  attaches  to  a  man's  name,  that 
to  the  eid  of  life  he  continued  so  much  engrossed  with  the  every- 
day business  of  a  passing  world — from  which  he  was  himself  soon  to 
pass  away  and  "  be  no  more  for  ever" — that  he  died  with  the  harness 
of  business  on  his  back.  Infinitely  more  to  be  desired  would  it  have 
been  for  Mr.  Girard,  and  would  it  be  for  all  mankind,  if,  ere  ^:oing 
hence,  time  were  afforded,  and  were  taken,  to  get  quit  of  the  "  har- 
ness," and  to  consider  the  destiny  of  the  unclothed  spirit  without 
distraction,  and  in  the  light  of  the  future.  This,  however,  is  a 
digression. 

By  his  will,  made  in  1830,  and  after  leaving  sundry  very  splendid 
legacies  and  special  bequests,  Mr.  Girard,  after  narrating  that  he  had 
"  been  for  a  long  time  impressed  with  the  importance  of  educating 
the  poor,  and  of  placing  them,  by  the  early  cultivation  of  their  minds 
and  the  development  of  their  moral  principles,  above  the  many  temp- 
tations 4o  which  through  poverty  and  ignorance  they  are  exposed  j" 
and  that  he  was  "  particularly  desirous  to  provide,  for  such  a  number 
of  poor  male  white  children  as  can  be  trained  in  one  institution,  a 
better  education,  as  well  as  a  more  comfortable  maintenance,  than 
they  usually  receive  from  the  application  of  the  public  funds,"  be- 
queathed the  entire  residue  of  his  princely  estates  to  the  may^r, 
aldermen,  and  citizens  of  Philadelphia,  directing  them,  with  o 
millions  of  dollars  out  of  said  residue,  to  erect  and  furnish  an  in^  u- 
tion  or  permanent  college,  with  suitable  out-buildings;  and  with 
instructions,  after  "  the  college  and  appurtenances  shall  have  cen 
constructed  and  furnished,"  to  apply  "  the  income,  issue,  and  profits 
of  so  much  of  said  two  millions  of  dollars  as  shall  remain  une>  ended, 
in  maintaining  the  college  according  to  the  testator's  directions." 
By  another  section  of  the  will,  the  free  remainder  of  the  residue  of 
the  estate  is  likewise  bequeathed  to  form  a  permanent  fund  for 
certain  expressed  purposes,  among  which  is  "  the  further  improve- 
ment and  maintenance  of  the  aforesaid  college."  Minute  directions 
are  given  in  the  will  regarding  the  male  white  orphans  to  be  admitted 
into  the  institution— pi iority  of  claim  being  dependent  on  the  lo  I'ity 
of  birth,  in  the  order  of  (I)  Philadelphia,  (2)  other  parts  of  Penn- 
sylvania, (3)  New  York,  uud  (4)  New  Orleans ',  and  also  particular 


274 


PHILADELPHIA. 


I 


and  minute  instructions  are  set  forth,  regarding  the  nature  and  style 
of  the  building  or  erection  contemplated  by  the  testator  as  the  college 
to  be  built.  As  regards  the  latter,  the  general  direction  is,  that  in 
erecting  it  the  trustees  are  to  "avoid  needless  ornament,  and  to 
attend  chiefly  to  the  strength,  convenience,  and  neatness  of  the 
whole/'  It  would  require,  I  fear,  considerable  liberality  and  latitude 
of  construction,  to  say  that  the  building  actually  reared  is  in  accord- 
ance either  with  the  letter  or  the  spirit  of  the  instructions  last  quoted. 
The  amount  expended  for  building  the  college,  (which,  begun  in 
May,  1833,  was  not  completed  till  13th  November,  1847)  was 
1,933,878  dollars,  (nearly  £390,000  sterling  y)  so  that  there  was 
very  little  of  residue  of  the  2,000,000  of  dollars  to  be  applied  in 
terms  of  the  will. 

It  appears  from  the  will  (which  also  judiciously  provides  that  the 
boys  are  to  wear  no  distinctive  dress)  that  Mr.  Girard  contemplated 
affording  accommodation  and  education  for  at  least  three  hundred 
orphan  boys,  as  he  directs  that  "  the  building  shall  be  suflBciently 
spacious  for  the  residence  and  accommodation  of  at  least  three  hun- 
dred scholars,  and  the  requisite  teachers  and  other  persons  ne- 
cessary in  such  an  institution."  When  I  visited  it,  about  eighteen 
months  a.fiei  the  completion  of  the  building,  the  number  of  pupils 
enrolled  was  about  one  hundred.  On  looking  over  a  list  of  them, 
I  was  soncwhat  struck  with  the  nv^nber  of  names  of  German 
origin. 

Such  is  a  general  account  of  the  nature  L..1  objects  of  tfce  insti- 
tution called  Girard  College,  Philadelphia,  of  which  the  traveller 
will  hear  much  among  tho^e  who  take  a  deep  interest  in  the  cause 
of  education,  (and  ifc  is  simple  justice  to  say  that  this  party  is  a 
very  numerous,  a:i«"'  a  very  powerful  and  operative  one,  in  the  Unit- 
ed States  of  America,)  in  the  city  itself,  as  well  as  in  other  parts  of 
the  Union.  The  mention  of  it  will,  in  general,  be  either  highly 
laudatory,  or  very  much  the  reverse,  just  in  accordance  with  the 
views  of  the  speaker  or  of  the  society,  on  the  much  agitated  question 
of  the  propriety  or  impropriety  of  separating  or  associating  secular 
and  religious  instruction.  But  the  sketch  iti^elf  would  not  be  com- 
plex i  were  I  not  to  notice  another  peculiarity  of  JNIr.  Girard's  will, 
the  reason  of  which  will  best  explain  the  cause  of  the  difference  of 
opinion  to  which  I  have  thus  alluded.  My  attention  was  somewhat 
rudely  drawn  to  the  peculiarity  referred  to,  from  finding  that  the 
word  "  lieverend''  on  the  card  of  a  compaynon  <ir  voyntje,  was  suffi- 
cient to  exclude  him  from  being  pcruiitted  to  accompany  me  on  a 
visit  to  the  coljegc.  >Jo  clergyman  of  any  denomination  can  get 
within  the  walls.  By  Mr.  (jirarJs  will  it  is  provided, — "Secondly, 
I  enjoin  and  reijuire  that  no  ecclesiastic,  missionary,  or  minister,  of 
any  sect  whatsoever,  shall  evvr  hold  or  cxcrci&o  any  station  or  duty 


PHILADELPHIA. 


275 


iture  and  style 
•  as  the  college 
ion  is,  that  in 
anient,  and  to 
jatness  of  the 
;y  and  latitude 
id  is  in  accord- 
ns  last  quoted, 
liich,  begun  in 
jr,  1847)  was 
that  there  was 
be  applied  in 

)vides  that  the 
I  contemplated 
three  hundred 
be  suflSciently 
jast  three  hun- 
ir  persons  ne- 
ibout  eighteen 
nber  of  pupils 
I  list  of  them, 
ps  of  German 

ts  of  tfce  insti- 
the  traveller 
st  in  the  cause 
bis  party  is  a 
3,  in  the  Unit- 
other  parts  of 
either  highly 
anco  with  the 
tated  question 
nating  secular 
d  not  be  com- 
Girard's  will, 
3  difference  of 
was  somewhat 
ding  that  the 
'(Kje,  was  suffi- 
)yny  me  on  a 
ation  can  get 
— "Secondly, 
r  minister,  of 
tation  or  duty 


wbatever  in  the  said  college,  nor  shall  any  parson  ever  be  admitted 
for  any  purpose,  or  as  a  visitor,  within  the  premises  appropriated  to 
the  said  college."  There  can  be  no  mistake  about  the  sweeping 
nature  of  this  exclusion,  but  it  is  only  fair  to  say  that  Mr.  Girard 
adds  immediately — "  In  making  this  restriction,  I  do  not  mean  to 
cast  any  reflection  upon  any  sect  or  person  whatever ;  but,  as  there 
is  such  a  multitude  of  sects,  and  such  a  diversity  of  opinion  amongst 
them,  I  desire  to  keep  the  tender  minds  of  the  orphans  who  are  to 
derive  advantage  from  this  bequest  free  from  the  excitement  which 
clashing  doctrines  and  sectarian  controversy  are  so  apt  to  produce. 
My  desire  is  that  all  the  instructors  and  teachers  in  the  college  shall 
take  pains  to  instil  into  the  minds  of  the  scholars  the  purest  princi- 
ples of  morality;  so  that,  on  their  entrance  into  active  life,  they 
may,  from  inclination  and  habit,  evince  benevolence  towards  their 
fellow  creatures,  and  a  love  of  truth,  sobriety,  and  industry,  adopt- 
ing, at  the  same  time,  such  religious  teiets  as  their  matured  reason 
may  enable  them  to  prefer." 

That  such  an  exclusion,  adopted  and  vindicated  on  such  views,  and 
when  taken  in  connexion  with  the  great  national  institute  of  which 
their  author  was  the  founder,  should  have  excited  some  attention, 
and  led  to  much  discussion,  is  only  what  was  natural,  and  what  might 
have  been  predicted.  And  it  is  also,  perhaps,  only  whai,  was  to  be 
expected,  that,  in  the  controversy  they  elicited,  the  real  intenti(,tns  of 
the  benevolent  testator  have  been  as  much  understated  on  the  one 
side  as  overstated  on  the  other.  At  all  events,  so  it  is.  Those 
among  what  mar  be  termed  the  religious  classes,  who  defend  the 
before-quoted  provisions  of  Mr.  Girard's  will,  aflBrm  that  it  was  any- 
thing but  his  wish  or  intention  to  exclude  religion — the  religion  of 
the  Bible  and  Christianity — from  its  proper  and  prominent  place  in 
the  curriculum  of  education,  (and  certainly  the  practice  in  the  insti- 
tution favours  this  view;)  and  that  his  intention  merely  was  to  pro- 
tect the  educational  establishment  he  had  left  behind  him  from  all 
chance  of  being  made  an  arena  for  discussing  the  conflicting  tenets 
of  mere  sectarians  and  controversialists,  who,  with  little  of  real  reli- 
gion to  recommend  them,  are  fond  of  parading  their  dogmas  on  all 
points  of  an  ecclesiastical  nature.  While  those  on  the  other  hand 
among  the  same  classes,  who  unqualifiedly  condemn  Mr.  Girard, 
both  for  the  exclusion  and  the  reason  assigned  in  defence  of  it,  as 
unqualifiedly  maintain  that  the  spirit,  if  not  the  letter,  of  his  will, 
is  to  exclude  religion  altogether  from  his  estimate  of  that  education 
which  was  in  his  opinion  to  fit  the  recipients  of  his  bounty,  "  on 
their  entrance  into  active  life,  from  inclination  and  habit,  to  prac- 
tise benevolence  towards  their  fellow  creatures,  and  a  love  of  truth, 
sobriety,  and  industry." 


276 


PHILADELPHIA. 


As  usual,  the  truth  will  be  found  to  lie  somewhere  between  the 
two  extremes.  On  the  one  hand,  there  is  nothing  certainly  in 
Mr.  Girard's  will  to  lead  necessarily  to  the  conclusion  that  he  meant 
to  exclude  the  Bible,  and  the  religion  of  the  Bible,  from  the  curri- 
culum of  education  which  he  contemplated  his  orphans  receiving. 
On  the  contrary,  it  might  be  reasoned  that  his  expressing  it  to  be 
his  desire,  that  the  education  given  should  be  such  as  would  instil 
into  the  minds  of  the  scholars  the  purest  principles  of  morality^ 
amounted  to  a  recognition  of  the  Scriptures  as  a  text-book — inas- 
much as  it  is  the  testimony  even  of  infidels,  that  nowhere  are  there 
to  be  found  nobler  principles  of  morality  inculcated  on  motives  so 
disinterested  or  so  lofty.  And  the  practice  of  the  institution,  both 
as  to  the  use  of  the  Bible  and  the  use  of  prayers,  seems  to  corrobo- 
rate this  view  of  the  matter. 

But  there  is  surely  much  to  be  said  on  the  other  side  of  the  ques- 
tion, and  with  greater  effect.  If  Mr.  Girard's  will  permits  the  use 
of  the  Bible  as  a  text-book,  it  permits  also  its  utter  exclusion.  It 
repudiates  altogether  the  principle  of  the  Divine  injunction,  commu- 
nicated to  his  chosen  people  through  the  instrumentality  of  the  He- 
brew lawgiver,  which  immediately  follows  the  covenant  made  in 
Horeb,  and  the  enumeration  of  the  precepts  of  the  moral  law,  as 
there  given,  and  which  is  in  these  words — "  Thou  shalt  teach  them 
diligently  unto  thy  children,  and  shall  talk  of  them  when  thou  sit- 
test  in  thine  house,  and  when  thou  walkest  by  the  way,  and  when 
thou  liest  down,  and  when  thou  risest  up." 

Again,  if  the  provision  in  question  admits  of  the  charitable  con- 
struction, that  its  author  meant  not  to  question  the  necessity  of  an 
early  u  .  luaintance  with  the  religion  of  the  Bible,  or  even  to  deny 
that  there  was  such  a  unity  of  doctrinal  faith  and  of  agreement,  in 
all  great  and  essential  points,  among  the  truly  evangelical  churches, 
as  permitted  tlie  teaching  of  Christianity,  and  of  the  theology  of 
Christianity,  as  part  of  the  curriculum  of  education,  without  its 
necessarily  involving  mere  sectarianism;  yet  certainly  the  con- 
struction is  only  permissible  and  not  imperative.  Nay,  there  is 
much  in  the  words  used  to  discountenance  it.  The  purest  princi- 
ples of  morality  are  best  taught  in  the  revealed  word  of  God.  The 
best  way  of  imparting  habits  of  benevolence,  truth,  sobriety,  and 
industry,  is  to  inculcate  from  early  life  the  pure  precepts  of  that 
gospel  which  declares  the  law  to  be,  to  lov^e  G  od  with  all  our  heart, 
and  our  neighbour  as  ourselves.  And,  moreover,  Mr.  Girard's 
tJieory  labours  under  this  obvious  and  important  imperfection,  that, 
while  it  contemplates  the  formation  of  religious  tenets  only  after 
the  party  shall  have  arrived  at  mature  reason,  it  fails  either  to 
provide  for  those  who  die  ere  that  undefined  and  undefinable  period 


PHILADELPHIA. 


277 


ere  between  the 
ing  certainly  in 
}Q  that  he  meant 
I,  from  the  eurri- 
rphans  receiving, 
pressing  it  to  be 
I  as  would  instil 
les  of  morality f 
text-book — inas- 
where  are  there 
id  on  motives  so 
institution,  both 
eems  to  corrobo- 

side  of  the  ques- 
permits  the  use 
r  exclusion.  It 
mction,  commu- 
ality  of  the  He- 
'enant  made  in 
le  moral  law,  as 
halt  teach  them 
when  thou  sit- 
way,  and  when 

charitable  con- 
necessity  of  an 
r  even  to  deny 
"agreement,  in 
ilical  churches, 
he  theology  of 
on,  without  its 
ainly  the  con- 
Nay,  there  is 
)  purest  princi- 
l  of  God.    The 
,  sobriety,  and 
■ecepts  of  that 
L  all  our  heart, 
Mr.  Girard's 
3rfection,  that, 
lets  only  after 
fiiils  either  to 
efiuable  period 


of  life  is  arrived  at,  or  to  take  advantage  of  the  flexibility  and  im- 
pressibility of  the  youthful  mind  to  lead  it  in  paths,  or  to  impress 
it  with  ideas,  that  have  a  religious  direction  and  tendency. 

I  have  been  induced  to  make  these  remarks  on  this  somewhat 
singular  feature  of  Mr.  Girard's  will,  because  of  the  great  amount 
of  controversy  which  the  subject  seemed  to  excite  among  a  certain 
class  in  America,  and  also  because  I  have  heard  it  commented  on, 
even  by  Americans,  in  this  country,  in  such  a  way  as  was  calcu- 
lated to  give  an  unjust,  because  too  unfavourable  a  view  of  it. 
That  clergymen  should  not  like  either  the  exclusion,  or  the  grounds 
of  it,  is  natural  enough ;  and,  apart  from  all  religious  considera- 
tions, I  am  free  to  confess  that  I  so  much  prefer  the  moderate  in- 
troduction of  men  of  clerical  calling  into  secular  affairs,  to  their 
total  exclusion  therefrom,  that  I  would  rather  choose  that  two  or 
three  of  different  persuasions  had  formed  members  of  tlie  board  of 
direction  of  Girard  College,  than  that  they  had  been  each  and  all 
of  them  totally  excluded.  But  the  exclusion  of  ecclesiastics  does 
not  necessarily  amount  to  the  exclusion  of  religion  Neither  does 
the  expression ',of  a  resolution  that  the  objects  of  bis  bounty  should 
be  kept  free  from  the  contamination  of  sectarian  controversy,  on 
the  subject  of  religion,  extend  to  a  resolution  to  extrude  Christian 
theology  from  the  curriculum,  or  the  Bible  from  the  school-room  ; 
and  therefore  do  I  conclude  as  I  set  out,  by  expressing  it  to  be  my 
opinion,  that  the  truth  as  regards  this  vexed  question  of  the  infidel 
tendency  of  Mr.  Girard's  bequest,  lies  between  the  extremes  of  the 
parties  by  whom  he  is  lauded  and  condemned. 

There  is  another  and  a  minor  peculiarity  in  Mr.  Girard's  bequest, 
in  the  indifference  he  shows  towards  the  claims  of  the  classical 
literature  of  Greece  and  of  Rome.  While  he  makes  the  tuition  of 
the  French  and  Spanish  languages  imperative,  he  says,  in  a  pa- 
renthesis, of  the  tongues  in  which  Homer  and  Virgil  sang,  and 
Demosthenes  and  Cicero  spoke,  <'  I  do  not  forbid,  but  I  do  not 
recommend,  the  Greek  and  Latin  languages." 

Whether,  in  other  respects,  the  Girard  College,  as  at  present 
constituted,  in  terms  of  the  will,  is  destined  to  produce  the  bene- 
ficial effects  its  benevolent  author  intended,  and  his  sanguine  ad- 
mirers expect,  is  another  and  a  different  question.  On  expressing 
to  an  intelligent  friend  in  Philadelphia,  who  takes  a  deep  interest 
in  the  cause  of  education  generally,  and  of  this  educational  insti- 
tute in  particular,  my  idea  that  there  was  an  opinion  gathering 
strength  in  my  native  country  of  Scotland,  that  this  class  of  insti- 
tutions had  not  been  so  very  successful  in  producing  even  the  pro- 
portion of  well-educated  men  that  might  have  been  anticipated,  and 
that  the  fact  that  they  had  been  so  was  to  be  ascribed  to  the  sepa- 
ration of  the  boys  from  the  general  community,  the  severance  of 

24 


278 


BALTIMORE. 


everything  like  domestic  ties,  and  consequently  the  somewhat 
monkish  feelings  of  seclusion  formed  in  the  course  of  education,  I 
observed  that  there  was  on  his  lips  a  smile  of  incredulity,  as  per- 
ceptible as  politeness  would  permit  it  to  be,  and  I  accordingly  went 
no  farther  into  the  argument.  Time,  however,  will  show  whether 
Mr.  Girard's  benevolent  intentions  are  to  be  realized ;  meanwhile, 
it  is  only  a  fitting  tribute  to  pay  to  his  memory  to  say,  that  the 
idea  and  its  realization  reflect  honour  on  his  name,  prove  him  to 
have  been  in  heart  a  philanthropist,  and  entitle  him  to  be  regarded 
as  among  the  benefactors  of  the  human  race. 

As  from  New  York  to  Philadelphia,  so  from  Philadelphia  to 
Baltimore,  there  are  two  routes  of  travel,  the  one  along  the  Dela- 
ware to  Newcastle,  thence  by  railway  to  French  Town,  (on  Elk 
river,)  through  Elk  river  and  Chesapeake  Bay,  past  the  mouth  of 
the  Susquehanna,  and  up  the  river  Patapsco  to  Baltimore ;  the 
other  direct  by  the  Wilmington  and  Baltimore  railway,  which 
crosses  the  Susquehanna.  There  is  little  ground  for  choice  between 
the  two,  though  perhaps  the  steamboat  route  is  the  one  which  will 
afibrd  a  stranger  the  greatest  gratification,  particularly  as  it  afi"ords 
an  opportunity  for  seeing  the  entrance  to  the  harbour  of  Baltimore, 
which  is  very  fine. 

BALTIMORE. 

The  visitor,  for  the  first  time,  cannot  fail  to  be  much  and  agree- 
ably struck  with  the  position  and  appearance  of  the  town  of  Balti- 
more. As  is  generally  known,  the  territory  forming  the  state  of 
Maryland,  of  which  Baltimore  is  the  capital,  was  so  named  in  honour 
of  the  Queen  of  England,  Henrietta  Maria,  daughter  of  Henry  IV. 
of  France,  and  wife  of  Charles  I.  of  England.  The  district  was 
constituted  a  palatinate  under  a  charter  granted  to  Lord  Baltimore, 
(from  whom,  of  course,  the  town  derives  its  name,)  and  was  first 
colonised  in  1633  by  about  two  hundred  English  emigrants.  At 
present  the  state  of  Maryland  contains  about  half  a  million,  and  the 
town  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  inhabitants.  The  latter 
stands  imposingly  on  a  rising  ground  on  the  bank  of  the  river  Pa- 
tapsco, not  many  miles  from  the  head  of  Chesap-jake  Bay;  and 
whether  I  recall  its  position,  its  public  buildings,  the  general  cleanly 
appearance  of  itr<  streets,  or  the  many  fair  faces  and  graceful  forms 
I  was  privileged  to  see  during  my  brief  stay  in  it,  Baltimore  rises 
to  my  recollection  with  a  very  favourable  impression.  Unquestion- 
ably the  town  of  Baltimore  is  finely  situated,  and  the  ladies  of  Bal- 
timore are  very  beautiful.  The  public  buildings  and  other  erections 
visited  by  me  were — (1)  the  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral,  a  large 
granite  building  in  the  Ionic  style,  containing  two  good  paintings  of 


the  somewhat 
f  education,  I 
dulity,  as  per- 
jordingly  went 
show  whether 
I;  meanwhile, 
say,  that  the 
,  prove  him  to 
to  be  regarded 

hiladelphia  to 
long  the  Dela- 
?own,  (on  Elk 
the  mouth  of 
laltimore ;  the 
ailway,  which 
;hoice  between 
me  which  will 
ly  as  it  affords 
r  of  Baltimore, 


jch  and  agree- 
town  of  Balti- 
y  the  state  of 
med  in  honour 
of  Henry  IV. 
e  district  was 
ird  Baltimore, 
and  was  first 
[111  grants.     At 
illion,  and  the 
is.    The  latter 
the  river  Pa- 
ke Bay;   and 
eneral  cleanly 
graceful  forms 
altimore  rises 
Unquestion- 
ladies  of  Bal- 
»ther  erections 
edral,  a  large 
d  paintings  of 


BALTIMORE. 


279 


royal  gift — one  the  Descent  from  the  Cross,  by  Puelin  Guelin,  pre- 
sented to  the  cathedral  by  Louis  XVI.,  of  France,  and  the  other 
representing  St.  Louis  burying  his  officers  and  soldiers  who  were 
slain  before  Tunis,  presented  by  Charles  X.,  likewise  also  of  France ; 
and  containing  also  the  largest  organ  in  the  United  States — an  organ 
which  has  six  thousand  stops  and  fifty-six  pipes :  (2)  the  Merchants' 
Exchange,  of  which  the  colonnades  at  the  extremities  struck  me  as 
being  in  good  taste :  (3)  the  Baltimore  Museum :  (4)  the  Battle 
Monument,  erected  in  honour  of  the  men  who  fell  in  defence  of 
Baltimore  in  1811,  which  appeared  to  me  a  work  too  elaborate  in 
its  design,  wanting  in  simplicity,  and  displaying  but  little  taste : 
and  (5)  the  monument  erected  by  the  State  to  the  memory  of  the 
illustrious  "Washington.  But,  following  the  example  I  have  already 
set  myself,  it  is  not  my  intention  to  say  more  than  has  been  already 
done  of  any  of  them  except  the  last;  and  truly  the  Washington 
monument  of  Baltimore  deserves  a  special  consideration. 

From  the  number  of  mcnuments  it  contains,  Baltimore  has  been 
called  the  Monumental  City,  and,  in  so  far  as  America  at  least  is 
concerned,  it  would  be  entitled  to  the  distinction  were  it  only  because 
it  contains  this  noble  structure  to  the  greatest  of  America's  sons 
and  statesmen.  The  monument  itself,  together  with  the  colossal 
statue  on  the  summit  of  it,  is  composed  of  white  marble.  It  stands 
on  an  eminence,  and  is  therefore  well  exposed  to  view  in  every 
direction,  and  it  consists  of  a  square  base  surmounted  by  a  round 
column  of  twenty  feet  in  diameter.  The  base  is  fifty  feet  square  by 
twenty-four  feet  high,  and  the  column  (statue  mcluded)  is  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  feet  in  height.  Appropriate  and  neat  short  inscrip- 
tions, descriptive  of  the  principal  incidents  in  Washington's  eventful 
life,  are  inscribed  on  the  sides  of  the  basement.  The  column  is 
hollow,  and  there  is  a  stair  inside,  by  means  of  which  the  visitor 
may  ascend  to  the  summit,  and  obtain  by  so  doing  a  superb  view  of 
Baltimore  and  its  environs.  Altogether  the  monument  to  Washing- 
ton, at  Baltimore,  is  worthy  of  the  state  that  reared  it,  and  of  the 
great  man  whose  patriotic  services  it  is  designed  to  commemorate. 
I  have  a  great  veneration  for  the  name  of  Washington;  and  sure  I 
am  that,  were  his  principles  more  paramount  in  the  republic  of  his 
creation,  there  would  not  be  so  large  a  display  of  that  intensely  self- 
ish democratic  feeling  of  which  European  travellers  often,  and  it  is 
to  be  feared  ofttimes  justly,  complain.  Washington  was  a  republican, 
but  he  was  no  democrat.  Indeed,  few  men  of  eminence  have  ex- 
pressed themselves  more  strongly  on  the  dangers  of  democracy. 

Similar  circumstances  produce  similar  results,  and  human  nature, 
amidst  all  its  varieties,  is  ever  the  same.  Thus  it  is  that  the  Wash- 
ington monument  of  Baltimore,  like  the  better  known  London 
Monument  of  the  modern  Babylon,  has  found  favour  as  a  place 


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280 


WASHINGTON. 


yrhence  to  accomplish  their  mad  desires,  or  end  their  worldly  sorrows, 
by  the  insane  and  the  wretched.  Of  late  years,  several  instances 
have  occurred  of  persons  throwing  themselves  from  the  top  of  the 
Washington  Monument  at  Baltimore.  In  the  majority  of  instances, 
these  victims  of  madness  or  of  misery  have  been  females. 

The  dis  ance  from  Baltimore  to  Washington,  the  inadequate  capi- 
tal of  the  United  States  of  America,  is  only  forty  miles,  and  it  is 
now  traversed  by  a  railroad.  On  the  occasion  when  I  travelled  it, 
the  journey  occupied  three  hours ;  but  nearly  one-third  of  that  time 
Tas  lost,  through  the  circumstance  of  the  tender  carriage  attached 
to  the  steam-engine  having  gone  ofT  the  rails,  dragging  the  two  sue* 
ceeding  passenger  carriages  along  with  it.  The  passengers  made  a 
very  narrow  escape ;  for,  moderate  as  the  speed  was,  it  is  little  less 
than  miraculous  that  none  of  the  carriages  were  overturned.  As  it 
was,  no  personal  injury  was  sustained ;  and  the  only  real  consequence 
was,  our  arriving  somewhat  luter  than  we  were  expected  at  the 
metropolitan  city  of 

WASHINGTON, 

the  capital  of  the  United  States  of  America.  And  how  unlike  a 
capital  city!  Previous  descriptions  had  prepared  me  for  finding 
Waphington  anything  but  a  fine  town.  Mr.  Dickens'  humorous 
portraiture  of  it,  as  "  a  city  of  magnificent  intentions,"  had  amused 
me,  and  I  thought  I  was  somewhat  prepared  for  the  scene  itself. 
But  the  preparation  was  insufficient :  after  all,  I  was  disappointed 
— exceedingly  disappointed.  It  was  not  that  Washington  was 
smaller  than  I  expected :  on  the  contrary,  it  covered  more  ground 
than  my  preconception  had  led  me  to  expect.  It  was  not  that  the 
public  buildings  were  inferior  to  wh»t  I  had  calculated  on :  on  the 
contrary,  they  were  finer — the  noble  Capitol  infinitely  finer — than  I 
had  visioned  in  my  mind's  eye.  Indeed,  it  is  difficult  to  say  exactly 
why  I  was  so  disappointed  at  the  first  sight  of  the  city  of  Washing- 
t(>u.  Describing  my  feelings  as  graphically  as  I  can,  I  would  say  it 
was  at  the  general  village-like  appearance  of  the  whole  place.  And 
yet  even  this  remark  requires  much  qualification.  It  was  like  a 
large  village,  and  yet  it  was  not.  It  was  like  a  village  in  the  wide- 
ncss  of  its  road-like  badly-paved  streets,  and  in  the  contrariety  in 
the  styles  of  the  difiierent  buildings  of  which  it  was  composed.  But 
it  was  very  unlike  a  village,  as  well  in  the  size  and  stateliness  of 
most  of  these  buildings,  as  in  the  style  of  the  persons  and  vehicles 
which  were  moving  along  its  avenues ;  and  assuredly,  when,  from 
whatever  point  of  view,  the  eye  rested  on  the  stately  Capitol,  the 
village  idea  received  a  check  which  melted  it  into  thin  air. 

But  it  is  only  when  attention  is  confined  to  Washington  as  a 


WASHINGTON. 


281 


worldly  sorrows, 
everal  instances 
I  the  top  of  the 
ity  of  instances, 
males. 

inadequate  capi- 
mile's,  and  it  is 
Q  I  ti-avelled  it, 
lird  of  that  time 
arriage  attached 
Ing  the  two  sue* 
jsengers  made  a 
i,  it  is  little  less 
$rturned.  As  it 
real  consequence 
szpected  at  the 


id  how  unlike  a 

me  for  finding 

kens'  humorous 

IS,''  had  amused 

the  scene  itself. 

ras  disappointed 

Washington  was 

ed  more  ground 

ras  not  that  the 

ited  on :  on  the 

ly  finer — than  I 

t  to  say  exactly 

ity  of  Washing- 

I  would  say  it 

3le  place.     And 

It  was  like  a 

ge  in  the  wide- 

e  contrariety  in 

somposod.    But 

d  stateliness  of 

ns  and  vehicles 

ly,  when,  from 

jly  Capitol,  the 

n  air. 

ishingtoQ  as  a 


town,  that  disappointment  is,  or  can  be,  fairly  felt;  and  after  all, 
is  there  not  something  unreasonable,  as  well  as  unphilosophical,  in 
the  idea  which  necessarily  connects  a  seat  of  government  with  a 
large  city  ?  That  capitals  are  generally  large  towns  is  very  true, 
and  thus  natural  it  is  that,  when  proceeding  to  visit  the  capital  of 
a  great  nation,  like  the  United  States  of  America,  the  mind  is 
made  up  for  finding  it  an  extensive,  as  well  as  an  important  place. 
But  is  it  necessary,  or  even  expedient,  that  largeness  of  extent,  or 
of  population,  should  be  one  of  its  characteristics  ?  and  is  it  not 
simply  because,  in  this  respect,  Washington  disappoints  expecta- 
tions raised  on  insufficient  bases,  that  one  feels  the  dissatisfaction 
with  its  general  appearance  which  has  been  already  described  ?  In 
1800,  when  Washington  was  made  the  seat  of  the  United  States' 
Government,  there  were  several  large  cities  in  the  American 
Union,  any  of  which  might  have  been  selected  for  capital  honours. 
The  town  of  Baltimore  itself  is  distant  not  more  than  forty  miles 
from  the  site  selected ;  but  the  approvers  of  Washington  as  a  cen- 
tral and  separate,  though  new  point,  whence  to  issue  the  acts  of 
national  legislation,  made  choice  of  none  of  these  large  towns; 
and  the  opinions  of  such  men  as  Washington,  Madison,  and  Lee, 
particularly  on  such  a  question,  must  surely  be  admitted  to  out- 
weigh all  other  evidence,  and  be  considered  decisive  as  to  the  fit- 
ness of  the  spot,  (city  or  no  city,)  for  the  end  to  which  it  was 
intended.  Moreover,  it  was  in  part  the  fear  of  dangers  incidental 
to  large  towns  that  influenced  many  of  the  friends  of  the  new  site. 
In  1783,  the  United  States'  Congress  were  grossly  insulted  by  a 
mutinous  and  riotous  mob  at  Philadelphia,  which  the  state  autho- 
rities and  forces  were  unable  to  quell ;  and  were  compelled,  for  the 
prosecution  of  their  deliberations,  to  adjourn  to  the  halls  of  the 
college  at  Princetown.  This  circumstance  must  hare  powerfully 
impressed  the  then  American  statesmen  with  a  sense  of  the  danger 
to  their  institutions  which  might  arise  from  the  dominant  influence 
of  the  mob,  particularly  in  a  country  tending  to  democi-acy,  and  in 
which  the  national  military  force  was  but  small.  It  must  also  have 
tended  in  no  inconsiderable  degree  to  facilitate  the  carrying,  in 
1790,  of  the  resolution  under  which  the  district  of  Columbia,  on 
the  banks  of  the  Potomac,  was  laid  ofi" — surrendered  by  Maryland 
and  Virginia — and  ceded  to  the  general  government  for  the  pur- 
poses of  the  Union.  Originally  this  district  was  ten  miles  square, 
but  it  is  now  much  smaller,  in  consequence  of  the  portion  of  land 
ceded  by  the  state  of  Virginia  having  been  returned  to  that  state 
again,  by  the  wish,  or  with  the  consent,  as  I  believe,  of  the  inhabi 
tants  of  the  ceded  portion,  who  found  that  the  honour  of  belonging 
to  the  metropolitan  district  but  ill  compensated  for  having  their 
local  affairs  and  interests  neglected,  while  their  rulers  were  looking 

24* 


282 


WASHINGTON. 


after  the  more  commanding  and  pressing  interests  of  the  whole 
Union,  and  conducting  the  business  of  the  general  government. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Capitol,  the  only  public  buildings  in 
Washington  which  seemed  to  mo  likely  to  attract  attention,  from 
their  possession  of  any  amount  of  architectural  beauty,  are  the 
President's  house,  ("attractive  not  so  much  either  on  account  of  its 
size  or  beauty,  but  oecause  it  is  the  state  residence  of  the  head  of 
the  Republic,)  the  Patent  Ofl&ce,  and  the  Treasury.  The  town  man- 
sion of  the  President  of  the  United  States — the  White  House,  as 
it  is  most  frequentl}'^,  and  from  its  colour,  culled — is  a  plain  neat 
building,  not  unlike  the  seat  of  a  rfch  English  country  gentleman, 
beautifully  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  river  Potomac,  and  sur- 
rounded by  indiflFerently  kept  grounds,  extending  to  about  twenty 
The  Patent  Office  is  a  handsome,  extensive,  but  unfinished 


acres. 


edifice  with  a  Doric  portico ;  and  the  Treasury  is  a  very  striking  as 
well  as  an  exceedingly  handsome  erection,  having  a  Grecian  front 
with  a  colonnade  of  about  460  feet  in  length. 

And  now  for  a  few  sentences  on  the  capital  of  the  capital.  In 
the  opinion  of  many  Americans,  this  erection  is  considered  not 
merely  the  finest  building  in  the  United  States  of  America,  but 
not  inferior  to  any  senate-house  in  the  world ;  and  although  I  can- 
not subscribe  to  so  sweeping  a  eulogium — and  it  is  impossible  for 
any  British  subject  to  do  so — ^I  certainly  do  think,  and  unhesitat- 
ingly say,  that  the  Capitol  of  Washington  is  a  very  imposing  as 
well  as  a  very  beautiful  piece  of  architecture.  Covering  as  it  does 
an  area  of  an  acre  and  a  half,  with  a  frontage  (wings  included)  of 
352  feet,  of  the  height  (to  the  top  of  the  dome)  of  120  feet,  and 
standing  on  a  site  of  considerable  elevation  above  the  level  of  the 
surrounding  country,  the  Capitol  is  a  very  magnificent  object  from 
whatever  side  it  is  viewed.  And  it  returns  the  compliment ;  for 
the  finest  and  most  perfect  view,  not  only  of  the  city  of  Washing- 
ton, but  of  the  whole  circumjacent  country,  is  to  be  obtained  from 
the  dome  of  the  Capitol.  This  view  is  really  superb,  and  it  is  only 
from  this  view  that  one  can  get  anything  like  a  definite  idea  of  the 
magnificent  intentions  of  the  aspiring  Frenchman  by  whom  the 
city  of  Washington  was  originally  designed.  Walking  along  the 
road-like  streets,  it  is  impossible  to  get  any  such  graphic  idea. 
They  are  not  like  streets :  they  are  unlike,  from  the  insufficiency 
of  the  paving.  Indeed,  with  the  exception  of  Pennsylvania 
Avenue,  few  of  them  are  paved  in  any  way.  They  are  also  unlike 
from  their  excessive  breadth.  With  roads  which  are  too  broad  for 
streets,  and  too  narrow  for  squares,  there  is  a  singular  want  of  con- 
nexion among  the  streets  and  houses  of  the  city  of  Washington. 

The  interior  of  the  Capitol  is  plain,  but  still  in  harmony  with  the 
nobility  of  the  exterior.    The  Chamber  of  Representatives  is  a  semi- 


m 


WASHINGTON. 


283 


of  the  whole 
jovernment. 
B  buildings  in 
ttention,  from 
eauty,  are  the 
account  of  its 
of  the  head  of 
rhe  town  man- 
lite  House,  as 
is  a  plain  neat 
bry  gentleman, 
>mac,  and  sur- 
about  twenty 
but  unfinished 
ery  striking  as 
Grecian  front 

le  capital.     In 
considered  not 
■  America,  but 
ilthough  I  can- 
impossible  for 
and  unhesitat- 
•y  imposing  as 
iring  as  it  does 
;s  included)  of 
120  feet,  and 
le  level  of  the 
nt  object  from 
mpliment;  for 
y  of  Washing- 
obtained  from 
and  it  is  only 
ite  idea  of  the 
by  whom  the 
ing  along  the 
graphic  idea, 
insufficiency 
Pennsylvania 
ire  also  unlike 
too  broad  for 
r  want  of  con- 
\^ashington. 
nony  with  the 
ives  is  a  semi- 


circular room,  spacious  and  lofty,  and  lighted  from  above ;  and  the 
Senate  Chamber,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  building,  is  a  somewhat 
smaller  room  of  the  same  shape.  Both  are  fine  as  well  as  imposing 
in  their  proportions,  and  both  seem  to  me  excellently  adapted  for  the 
purposes  to  which  they  are  devoted.  In  a  different  part  of  the  build- 
ing is  the  library  of  Congress,  a  neat  comfortable  room  of  no  great 
size,  said  to  contain  some  thirty  thousand  volumes — a  handsome 
number  indeed,  all  circumstances  considered,  but  scarcely  worth 
being  chronicled,  and  communicated  as  a  distinction,  when  it  is  re- 
membered that  there  are  nearly  thirty  libraries  in  Europe  each  con- 
taining fully  a  hundred  thousand  volumes,  or  more ;  while  the  library 
of  the  British  Museum  at  London,  though  only  the  fourth  in  Europe 
in  point  of  extent,  contains  the  extraordinary  number  of  435,000 
volumes.  It  is,  however,  not  a  bad  sign  of  the  intelligence  of  a  na- 
tion to  find  them  boasting  of  the  extent  of  their  libraries ;  and,  when 
in  the  United  States,  I  have  often  heard  what  has  been  called  Jona- 
than's national  sin  (a  habit  of  boasting)  developing  itself  in  a  much 
less  defensible  and  a  much  more  offensive  way,  though  certainly  not 
from  the  lips  of  any  of  the  intelligent  of  America's  sons. 

In  the  lower  part  of  the  building,  and  near  the  United  States' 
Court  Hall,  my  attention  was  much  struck  by  what  I  find  I  have 
noted  as  the  American  School  of  Architecture.  If  the  invention  of 
an  American,  it  may  fairly  be  so  called.  The  objects  alluded  to  are 
several  columns  or  pillars,  fashioned  to  represent  bundles  of  Indian 
corn  stalks,  and  having  capitals  representing  the  grain  partially  strip- 
ped, ripe,  and  open.  The  effect  is  fine,  and  I  should  like  much  to 
see  the  design  carried  out  in  the  erection  of  a  building. 

The  chief  attraction  of  the  interior  of  the  Capitol  of  Washington, 
is  the  Botunda,  or  entrance-hall,  situated  under  the  dome  in  the  cen- 
tre of  the  building.  This  Botunda  is  ninety-five  feet  in  diameter  as 
well  as  in  height,  and  on  the  walls  of  it  are  six  pictures  of  large  size 
— twelve  feet  by  eighteen.  These  large  paintings  severally  represent 
The  Declaration  of  Independence,  The  Surrender  of  Burgoyne,  The 
Surrender  of  Comwallis,  Washington  resigning  his  Commission,  The 
Baptism  of  Pochahontas,  and  The  Embarkation  of  the  Pilgrim  Fa- 
thers at  Plymouth  in  England,  in  the  little  Mayflower.  When  I  vi- 
sited the  scene,  there  was  also  a  likeness  of  the  President,  General 
Taylor,  exbibited  in  this  hall.  Of  the  accuracy  and  excellence  of 
this  painting,  not  only  as  a  picture  but  as  a  good  likeness,  I  had  an 
after  as  rell  as  an  excellent  opportunity  of  judging. 

With  reference  to  the  second  and  third  of  the  pictures  thus  enu- 
merated as  ornamenting  the  Botunda  of  the  United  States'  Capitol, 
I  may,  as  a  British  subject,  be  permitted  to  question  the  excellence 
of  the  taste  which  selected  for  such  a  purpose  two  scenes  from  one 
side  of  a  war,  that  afforded  so  many  incidents  of  a  conflicting  cha- 


«nl 


'i;; 


;i 


284 


WASHINGTON. 


racter.  Looking  to  the  fact  that,  in  this  very  War  of  Independence, 
there  were  so  many  instances  which  might  bo  made  the  subject  of 
pictorial  representation  to  the  effect  of  exciting  feelings  of  a  different 
kind,  and  also  to  the  fact  that  so  large  a  party  in  Great  Britain,  in- 
cluding the  best  and  most  independent  of  British  statesmen,  espoused 
and  advocated  the  cause  of  American  Independence,  even  in  the  Brit- 
ish Senate  itself,  (a  fact  so  well  recognised  in  the  States,  that  I  find 
the  following  to  be  one  of  the  printed  questions  put  to  the  students 
in  history  in  the  common  schools  in  Cincinnati,  at  the  examination 
for  the  year  ending  80th  June  1848,  "  What  British  Statesman  was 
conspicuous  in  espousing  the  cause  of  the  colonies  in  Parliament  ?") 
more  truthful  as  well  as  more  tasteful  embellishments  might  have 
been  selected.  But  let  not  my  American  friends  misunderstand  me. 
I  make  no  complaint  of  their  commemorating,  in  every  possible  way, 
their  struggle  for  independence,  and  the  issue  of  it.  That  is  not  only 
natural,  but  noble ;  and  the  well-known  fact  that  the  war  which  led 
to  that  issue  was  the  most  unpopular  in  Great  Britain  of  any  that 
the  British  Government  ever  engaged  in,  should  enhance,  instead  of 
detracting  from,  the  pleasure  of  the  commemoration.  What  I  alone 
complain  of  is,  the  selecting,  for  such  national  commemoration,  indi- 
vidual scenes  of  personal  humiliation  out  of  the  numberless  incidents 
of  a  checkered  warfare,  conducted  against  British  colonists  by  the 
British  Government,  contrary  to  the  wishes  of  a  large  body  (if  not 
the  majority)  of  the  nation,  and  notwithstanding  the  opinions,  the 
re  onstrances,  and  the  vaticinations  of  the  illustrious  and  venerable 
Lord  Chatham,  and  of  a  long  list  of  British  statesmen  of  world-re- 
nowned eminence.  But  having  resolved  so  to  commemorate  the  war 
in  question,  nothing  can  be  said  against  the  choice  of  the  subjects, 
particularly  by  a  nation  whose  places  of  public  resort,  and  even  the 
streets  and  squares  of  whose  towns,  are  filled  with  mementos,  in 
names,  in  paintings,  and  in  memorials,  commemorative  of  the  many 
victories  by  land  and  by  sea  which  go  to  make  what  has  been  so  long 
considered  the  national  laurels  of  England.  Although  the  act  of 
Burgoyne  (in  delivering  up  the  force  under  his  charge)  was  compelled 
by  circumstances,  and  accompanied  by  a  condition  of  safe  conduct 
that  entitle  it  to  be  regarded  rather  as  a  "  capitulation"  than  as  a 
"  surrender",  there  can  be  no  objection  to  the  use  of  the  latter  term 
if  its  employment  gratifies  our  American  friends.  Nor  can  it  be 
objected  that  they  should  make  choice  of  this  event,  and  of  the  sub- 
sequent one  of  Lord  Cornwallis's  surrender  of  his  array  of  six  thou- 
sand men,  to  the  combined  forces  of  France  and  of  America,  in  pre- 
ferenc3  to  choosing  a  subject  for  representation  from  such  scenes  as 
the  taking  of  New  York,  the  battle  of  Germantown,  the  siege  of 
Ticonderago,  the  battle  of  Briars  Creek,  or  even  the  less  decisive 
affair  of  Bunker's  Hill,  or,  indeed,  any  of  the  varied  scenes  of  the 


WASHINGTON. 


'  Independence, 
the  subject  of 
;8  of  a  different 
eat  Britain,  in- 
smen,  espoused 
ven  in  the  Brit- 
ites,  that  I  find 
to  the  students 
he  examination 
Statesman  was 
Parliament?") 
its  might  have 
lunderstand  me. 
ry  possible  way. 
That  is  not  only 
3  war  which  led 
lin  of  any  that 
ance,  instead  of 
,   What  I  alone 
emoration,  indi- 
berless  incidents 
solonists  by  the 
re  body  (if  not 
le  opinions,  the 
s  and  venerable 
en  of  world-re- 
morate  the  war 
f  the  subjects, 
and  even  the 
mementos,  in 
re  of  the  many 
^as  been  so  long 
igh  the  act  of 
was  compelled 
^f  safe  conduct 
lion"  than  as  a 
I  the  latter  term 
I  Nor  can  it  be 
land  of  the  sub- 
ly  of  six  thou- 
Imerica,  in  pre- 
Isuch  scenes  as 
In,  the  siege  of 
le  less  decisive 
scenes  of  the 


285 


unfortunate  and  unnatural  contest  in  which  the  tide  of  success  be- 
tween the  Royalists  and  the  Independents  so  often  fluctuated. 

When  upon  the  subject  of  the  extent  of  the  desire  shown  by  some 
of  our  American  brethren  to  over-estimate  the  doings  and  daring  of 
their  ancestors  in  the  War  of  Independence,  or  to  obtrude  unnecessa- 
rily, and  with  but  little  taste,  the  topic  in  the  presence  of  a  British 
subject,  I  may  be  permitted  to  make  a  remark  which  has  often  oc- 
curred to  me  in  reference  to  the  American  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence. Few  documents  are  so  vaunted  by  our  transatlantic  brethren, 
and  few  documents  deserve  to  be  so  lauded,  if  it  be  regarded  simply 
as  the  crowning  act  of  a  nation's  struggle  for  liberty.  But  viewed 
with  reference  to  the  contents  of  the  document  itself,  I  have  said, 
and  I  do  say,  that  it  is  very  far  from  containing  either  an  accurate  or 
a  dignified  statement  of  the  causes  which  led  to  the  violent  separa- 
tion of  the  American  colonies  from  the  parent  state.  In  particular, 
it  charges  upon  the  King  of  Great  Britain,  as  an  individual,  griev- 
ances and  complaints,  and  a  refusal  to  give  redress,  which  the  framer 
of  the  act  himself  knew  well  were  the  results  of  the  doings,  not 
of  the  king,  but  of  the  ministry.  Not  only  so,  the  Declaration  of 
American  Independenc3  charge  the  King  of  Great  Britain  with 
crimes  and  with  conduct,  with  acts  of  cruelty  and  of  perfidy,  of  which 
there  is  not  even  the  shadow  of  a  pretence  for  alleging  him  to  have 
been  guilty.  In  adhoring  to  and  supporting  a  ministry  who  persisted 
in  carrying  on  a  war  with  our  then  colonies,  notwithstanding  one  of 
the  most  powerful  and  talented  oppositions  that  any  ministry  ever 
had  to  encounter  in  the  British  senate,  and  even  after  that  war  had 
been  shown  to  be  unpopular,  and  distasteful  to  the  great  mass  of  the 
nation,  George  III.  did  undoubtedly  act  unwisely.  But  the  act  of 
carrying  on  the  war  was  that  of  his  ministers,  not  of  himself:  and 
the  framer  and  approvers  of  the  American  Declaration  themselves 
knew  well,  as  statesmen,  that  in  a  constitutional  country  like  Eng- 
land such  was  necessarily  the  fact.  Why,  then,  was  not  the  state- 
ment framed  in  accordance  with  the  fact  ?  I  fear  the  alone  answer 
is,  because,  in  the  then  state  of  the  public  mind,  both  in  America 
and  in  Great  Britain,  it  secured  more  sympathy  to  affect  to  represent 
the  contest  as  invoked,  caused,  and  consummated  in  the  manner  it 
had  been,  through  the  headstrong  tyranny  of  a  wayward  and  unfeel- 
ing despot.  But  George  III.  was  no  despot ;  and,  whatever  his  other 
faults  or  failings,  cruelty  and  perfidy  cannot  with  truth  be  classed 
among  them. 

The  matters  and  scenes  above  referred  to,  however,  are  now  long 
bygone,  with  the  generation  in  whose  time  they  were  transacted. 
The  incidents  connected  with  them  have  become  matters  of  history, 
on  which  future  generations  will  pass  their  verdict ;  and  whoever  was 
to  blame— either  in  the  beginning,  in  the  conduct,  or  in  regard  to  the 


286 


WASHINGTON. 


issue — the  wise  of  both  countries  seem  to  be  agreed  in  this,  that  it  is 
fortunate,  both  for  the  parent  state  and  the  severed  colony,  that  the 
separation  took  place  at  the  time,  if  not  in  the  manner  in  which  it  did. 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Capitol  of  Washington  stands  a 
gigantic  statue  to  the  memory  of  him  who  has  given  his  name  to  the 
city.  The  inscription  on  this  monument  is  dignified  and  simple. 
On  the  one  side  "  First  in  war,"  on  the  other,  "  First  in  peace." 
The  statute  is  colossal,  and  the  attitude  striking.  Measures  are  like« 
wise  now  in  progress  for  erecting  in  the  capital  a  national  testimonial, 
on  a  very  extensive  scale,  to  commemorate  the  services  and  virtues 
of  this  the  greatest  of  the  framerc  and  defenders  of  the  American 
confederation. 

A  transition  from  the  description  of  the  capital  of  a  nation,  to  the 
consideration  of  the  form  of  government,  is  so  natural,  that  explana- 
tion of  motives  for  the  introduction  of  the  latter  subject  were  unne- 
cessary, did  not  the  obvious  importance  of  the  topic  justify  the  men- 
tion of  the  fact,  that  the  views  to  be  now  recorded  are  the  results, 
not  merely  of  impressions  formed  when  in  America,  and  from  what  I 
saw  there,  but  of  a  study  of  the  republican  constitution  of  the  United 
States,  years  before  I  put  my  foot  on  their  shores.  Before  visiting 
the  great  republic,  I  enjoyed  some  acquaintance  with  the  writings  of 
its  distinguished  jurists.  I  had  read  myself  into  the  belief  that  the 
constitution  of  the  Federal  Union  of  America  ranked  very  high 
among  the  achievements  of  modern  wisdom.  A  close  inspection  of 
the  machinery  in  actual  operation  has  not  dispelled  this  opinion, 
although  it  has  modified  it  on  all  points,  and  corrected  it  in  some. 

When,  in  the  year  1787,  twelve  years  after  their  Declaration  of 
Independence,  the  deputies  of  the  then  United  States  of  America 
finally  agreed  to  and  subscribed  the  Deed  of  Constitution,  a  course 
was  adventured  on,  and  a  form  of  government  ratified,  for  which  there 
was  no  favourable  prestige  in  the  history  of  the  past.  Confederated 
republics  have  never  yet  reached  an  old  age  of  national  existence. 
Not  to  occupy  time  and  space  by  more  than  a  passing  allusion  to 
federal  unions  obscurely  mentioned  in  the  pages  of  more  ancient  his- 
tory, it  suffices  here  to  refer  to  that  of  the  Grecian  republics,  whose  early 
dissolution  arose  more  from  the  corroding  influences  of  internal  jea- 
lousy, and  from  conflicting  interests,  than  from  the  violent  tiSsaultg 
of  foreign  aggression ;  or  to  the  confederation  of  the  United  Provinces 
of  Holland  in  later  days,  which  only  found  an  end  to  domestic  dis- 
sension by  taking  refuge  in  a  monarchical  form  of  government. 

It  was  not,  therefore,  in  the  light  of  the  past  that  the  fathers  and 
framers  of  the  American  constitution  could  gather  their  hope  of  per- 
manency for  their  young  republic.  They  adhered,  however,  to  their 
resolution  to  form  a  united  confedeiation ;  and  prejudice  itself  cannot 
deny  that  nobly  was  that  resolve  carried  into  execution.    Nay  more, 


UNITED  STATES'  CONSTITUTION. 


287 


in  this,  that  it  is 
colony,  that  the 
*  in  which  it  did. 
tington  stands  a 
his  name  to  the 
led  and  simple. 
First  in  peace." 
Measures  are  like- 
onal  testimonial, 
dees  and  virtues 
)f  the  American 

a  nation,  to  the 
i\,  that  explana- 
)ject  were  unne- 
jastify  the  men- 
are  the  results, 
ind  from  what  I 
m  of  the  United 
Before  visiting 
1  the  writings  of 
le  belief  that  the 
nked  very  high 
»se  inspection  of 
)d  this  opinion, 
3d  it  in  some, 
r  Declaration  of 
ites  of  America 
tution,  a  course 
for  which  there 
Confederated 
ional  existence, 
sing  allusion  to 
lore  ancient  his- 
ics,  whose  early 
of  internal  jea- 
violent  assaults 
nited  Provinces 
domestic  dis- 
)vernment. 
the  fathers  and 
eir  hope  of  per- 
owever,  to  their 
ice  itself  cannot 
»n.    Nay  more, 


if  ever  a  republican  form  of  government  was  to  succeed,  it  was  surely 
in  such  circumstances  as  were  here  combined.  Never,  in  the  annals 
of  the  world,  was  the  experiment  made  under  happier  auspices,  or 
with  brighter  and  better  founded  hopes.  One  solitary  cloud  dimmed 
the  azure  brightness  of  the  horizon  of  *the  young  republic.  The  ex- 
istence of  slavery,  in  about  one  moiety  of  the  States,  was  the  only 
source  whence  there  could  be  dread  of  danger  to  the  constitution ; 
and,  "  small  as  a  man's  hand''  as  that  cloud  was,  it  could  only  be  the 
far-seeing  who  could  from  it  derive  the  presentiment,  that  something 
might  yet  occur  to  raise  a  conflict  of  interests  and  of  views  sufficient 
to  put  an  end  to  the  close  union  and  entire  harmony  that,  in  1787, 
bound  together  the  confederated  states.  Otherwise,  all  bade  fair  for 
future  domestic  peace  and  weal.  The  authors  of  the  constitutional 
articles  were  men  of  cool  heads  and  patriot  hearts ;  and  the  tender 
republic  was  to  be  tried  on  a  clear  stage,  in  a  new  world,  and  afar 
from  those  conflicting  elements  of  kingly  or  of  oligarchical  growth, 
which  might  have  impeded  its  development  had  the  formation  of  a 
confederated  republic  been  attempted  in  any  part  of  Europe.  Nay 
more — the  success  of  the  experiment  has,  up  to  the  present  hour, 
justified  the  anticipations  of  the  authors  of  the  American  constitu- 
tion ;  and  I  entertain  a  strong  opinion  that,  if  from  any  source  serious 
danger  menaces  the  confederacy  of  the  United  States,  and  threatens 
to  disturb  its  integrity,  this  fact  arises  more  from  the  efiect  of  inroads 
which  have  from  time  to  time  been  made  on  the  principles  of  ;he 
constitution,  than  from  any  defect  inherent  in  that  document  itse!f. 
I  have  said  that,  from  a  somewhat  early  period  of  my  life,  I  had  been 
a  student  of  the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  and  that,  although 
not  an  advocate  for  republican  forms  of  government  in  the  abstract, 
I  had,  ere  I  visited  the  Union,  formed  a  high  opinion  of  its  wisdom. 
Indeed,  it  would  be  difiicult  to  frame  a  more  complete  form  of  re- 
publican government  than  that  of  the  American  Federal  Union ;  or 
to  point  out  a  case  of  difficulty  which  is  not  comprehended,  and 
provided  for,  in  some  part  or  other  of  the  seven  articles  of  the  con- 
stitution of  the  United  States,  or  of  the  amendments  thereon.  In 
republican  theory,  it  is  perfect.  But  has  it  been  as  perfect  in  its 
operation  or  execution  ?  It  certainly  has  not  j  and  the  reason  it  has 
not  been  so  is,  in  the  opinion  of  the  writer,  to  be  found,  not  in  any 
defects  in  the  constitution  itself,  but  in  the  manner  in  which  its  work- 
ing has  been  interfered  with  by  conflicting  claims,  set  up  by  indi- 
vidual states,  on  the  general  plea  and  principle  that,  in  joining  the 
Union,  they  had  reserved  their  independency.  In  particular,  the 
nullification  doctrine  strangely  but  ably  advocated  by  Mr.  Calhoun, 
as  the  organ  and  mouthpiece  of  the  Southern  States,  and,  since  his 
declaration  of  it,  resorted  to  on  every  occasion  of  a  difference  between 
the  general  government  and  an  individual  state — ofttimes  for  the 


288 


UNITED  STATES'  CONSTITUTION. 


most  unworthy  of  party  purposes — strikes  at  the  very  vitals  of  the 
constitution  of  the  United  States  of  America.  By  that  doctrine  it  is 
maintained  that,  when  the  federal  government^  sitting  in  Congress, 
shall  pass  a  law  which,  in  the  opinion  of  any  individual  state,  exceeds 
the  powers  conferred  by  the'  constitution,  it  is  the  province,  and 
within  the  power,  of  the  legislature  of  that  state  to  stay  the  progress 
of  the  law,  by  declaring  it  to  bo  of  no  eflfect — by  nullifying  its  opera- 
tion within  such  state's  own  particular  territories.  It  is  true  that 
the  existence  of  this  alleged  state  right  has  never  been  formally  re- 
cognised; indeed,  to  some  extent  it  has  been  repudiated  by  the  gene- 
ral government.  One  of  the  most  brilliant  efforts  of  the  truly  great 
Webster  has  been  devoted  to  illustrating  its  incompatibility  with  the 
very  existence  of  the  general  government.  But  the  snake  is  scotched, 
not  killed.  From  time  to  time  it  is  constantly  recurring  and  rearing 
up  its  head,  impeding  the  action  of  the  legislature,  and  destroying 
the  supremacy  of  the  constitution.  Great  Britain  treated  with  the 
United  States'  Government  relative  to  the  amicable  settlement  of  a 
question  of  boundary,  of  little  value  to  the  Kepublic,  and  still  less 
to  England.  A  reference  of  the  dispute  was  made  between  the  two 
high  contracting  parties.  But  the  negotiations  were  almost  marred, 
and  the  two  countries  nearly  involved  in  warfare  about  some  miles 
of  mountain  land,  because  of  the  interposition  of  a  third  party  or 
negotiant  in  the  independent  state  of  Maine !  Again,  the  federal 
government  of  the  United  States  established  a  tariff;  but  the  terms 
of  it  pleased  not  the  State  of  South  Carolina,  and  that  independent 
member  of  the  ill-cemented  body  politic  disapproved  of,  and  conse- 
quently nullified  the  law.  The  consequence  was  an  alteration  of  the 
general  tariff,  to  conciliate  one  recusant  or  refractory  state,  and  (for 
at  the  time  it  seemed  a  probable  thing,  from  the  attitude  assumed  by 
the  powerful  State  of  South  Carolina)  prevent  the  possibility  of  an 
internecine  war.  Instances  to  the  same  effect  might  be  multiplied, 
but  these  two  suffice  to  illustrate  the  general  position  which  is  at 
present  the  alone  object  in  view. 

But  it  is  no  defect  in  the  "  constitution  of  the  United  States" 
that  gives  rise  to  these  and  to  other  difficulties  in  its  practical 
working.  All  the  consideration  I  can  give  the  subject  leads  to  the 
conclusion  that,  apart  from  the  general  question  of  slavery,  which 
is  one  per  se,  the  only  source  of  embarrassment  is,  that  while,  by 
the  letter  of  the  constitution,  sufficient  powers  have  been  conferred 
on  the  general  government,  that  spirit  of  party  which  is  the  bane 
of  any  country,  and  especially  of  America — in  which  there  is 
always  so  numerous  an  army  of  placemen,  hangers-on,  and  expect- 
ants— has  led  to  the  putting  forth,  on  the  part  of  individual  states, 
of  claims  to  a  degree  of  "independence"  and  "reserved  right," 
which  is  absolutely  incompatible  with  the  full,  free  exercise  of  the 


sry  vitals  of  the 
lat  doctriDO  it  is 
ing  in  Congress, 
lal  state,  exceeds 
e  province,  and 
}tay  the  progress 
lifying  its  opera- 
It  is  true  that 
jeen  formally  re- 
ited  by  the  gene- 
)f  the  truly  great 
atibility  with  the 
snake  is  scotched, 
rring  and  rearing 
I,  and  destroying 
treated  with  the 
e  settlement  of  a 
blic,  and  still  less 
)  between  the  two 
■e  almost  marred, 
about  some  miles 
'  a  third  party  or 
^.gain,  the  federal 
flfj  but  the  terms 
that  independent 
jed  of,  and  conse- 
1  alteration  of  the 
try  state,  and  (for 
titude  assumed  by 
possibility  of  an 
ht  be  multiplied, 
ition  which  is  at 

!  United  States" 
s  in  its  practical 
bject  leads  to  the 
of  slavery,  which 
is,  that  while,  by 
70  been  conferred 
rhich  is  the  bane 
which  there  is 
s-ou,  and  expect- 
individual  states, 
reserved  right," 
ee  exercise  of  the 


UNITED  STATES'  CONSTITUTION. 


289 


powers  conferred  %y  the  constitution  upon  the  central  government. 
To  give  power  to  arrange  all  matters  of  "  duties,  imposts,  and  ex- 
cises," is  of  no  great  use,  provided  those  to  be  most  affected  by 
their  operations  are  to  be  entitled  to  declare  the  arrangements  null 
after  they  have  been  made.  To  be  authorized  to  make  treaties, 
and  "  regulate  commerce  with  foreign  nations,"  is  of  little  avail, 
if  the  individual  member  of  the  confederation  whose  territory  may 
be  most  affected  by  the  treaty  or  regulation  is  entitled  to  interpose 
its  veto,  or  equally  effective  refusal  of  accession  or  acquiescence. 
And  authority  "  to  establish  post-offices,  and  make  post-roads,"  is 
but  an  empty  permission,  if  the  general  government  are  not  per- 
mitted to  assess  for  the  formation  and  maintenance  of  such 
utilities,  save  under  the  risk  of  having  the  law  nullified  by  some 
individual  state,  which  may  be  unwilling  to  bear  its  share  of  the 
expense. 

In  a  word,  it  may  be  too  much  to  say  that  the  doctrine  of  nullifi- 
''ation  and  the  democratic  theory  of  reserved  state  rights  is  destruc- 
tive of  the  American  union ;  but  it  is  certainly  not  too  much  to 
affirm  that  they  contain  elements  of  dissension ;  and  that,  carried  to 
their  legitimate  extent,  they  may  prove  utterly  inconsistent  with  all 
vigour  of  government.  A  general  governing  power,  fettered  by 
such  a  restrictive  principle,  can  scarcely  expect  to  continue  "  power- 
ful at  home  and  respected  abroad."  That  these  effects  have  not 
been  more  clearly  manifested  in  the  past  history  of  the  great  repub- 
lic of  America,  I  attribute  to  these  causes — that,  wedded  together 
in  love  and  mutual  forbearance  by  the  trying  ordeal  of  the  Revolu- 
tionary War,  the  original  states  of  the  confederation  were  long  ere 
they  permitted  the  agitation  of  any  question  that  would  disturb  their 
consociation  or  repose ;  that  it  has  been  the  good  destiny  of  the 
United  States  to  have  had  at  the  head  of  their  affairs,  with  but  few 
exceptions,  men  of  patriotic  hearts,  sound  heads,  and  tried  business 
habits ;  and  that,  whenever  conflict  has  been  likely  to  arise  between 
the  general  government  and  a  refractory  state,  some  judicious  means 
have  been  found  for  reconciling  the  recusants,  or  evading  the  diffi- 
culty without  bringing  the  question  to  a  decisive  issue  or  arbitrament. 
Even  while  I  write,  the  monster  republic  is  assailed  with  a  greater 
difficulty,  and  a  stronger  chance  of  disunion,  than  it  has  had  to  en- 
counter in  any  of  the  darkest  years  of  its  by  past  history ;  and  sure 
am  I  that  there  is  no  one  with  a  heart  to  feel,  and  a  capacity  to 
understand,  who  fails  to  admire  the  efforts  of  American  statesmen 
of  all  creeds  and  classes  to  allay  the  storm,  and  to  find  out,  if  they 
can,  some  standing  ground  of  honest  and  honourable  compromise 
and  mutual  concession. 

But  the  preceding  observations  on  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States  are  not  intended  to  convey  the  impression  that,  in  the  wri- 

25 


290 


UNITED  STATES'  CONSTITUTIOX. 


tcr's  opinion,  the  American  Republic  is  in  imminent  danger  of 
being  dismembered  and  disunited.  No  doubt  the  day  of  separation 
may  come — anticipating  the  future  destinies  of  the  land  of  "  stars 
and  stripes''  by  the  analogies  of  the  past,  it  would  seem  almost  a 
certainty  that  the  time  when  it  will  be  divided  must  arrive.  Look- 
ing to  the  already  vast  extent  of  the  United  States*  territory,  and 
to  the  great  additions  lately  made  thereto,  tL«^-  conclusioi  is  scarcely 
to  be  resisted  that,  at  some  period  or  other,  it  will  form  the  abode 
of  more  than  one  of  the  nations  of  the  earth.  Reflecting  on  the 
entire  separation  and  severance  of  the  pecuniary  interests,  and  the 
difference  in  the  personal  habits  of  the  northern  from  those  of  the 
southern  states,  it  would  seem  a  strange  event  that  such  materials 
could  be  permanently  wedded  into  an  enduring  eniireness ;  and, 
considering  the  firm  stand  assumed  by  the  respective  champions  of 
the  two  great  parties  that  now  contend  for  dominance,  it  would 
seem  hopeless  to  expect  that  the  day  of  disunion  among  the  hetero- 
geneous materials  comprised  within  the  great  union  of  North 
America  can  be  indefinitely  postponed. 

But,  despite  these  admissions,  I  am  not  one  of  those  who  anti- 
cipate an  early  secession  of  one  part  of  the  confederacy  from  the 
other — nay  more,  (and  while  I  by  no  means  think  that  a  peaceful 
separation  would  materially  interfere  with  the  rapid  advancement, 
either  of  the  north  or  of  the  south,  of  the  east  or  of  the  far  west, 
or  lead  to  those  anarchical  results  generally  predicated  as  likely  to 
follow  the  dismemberment  of  the  American  confederation,)  I  would, 
were  I  an  American  as  I  am  a  Briton,  regard  a  severance  of  the 
Federative  Union,  albeit  an  amicable  or  at  least  a  peaceful  one,  as 
the  greatest  calamity  that  could  possibly  befall  my  great  and  rising 
country.  I  cannot  conceive  that  there  is  an  American  to  be  found 
who  is  not  more  or  less  imbued  with  this  feeling.  What  heart  does 
not  respond  to  the  thrilling  sentiments  beautifully  expressed  by 
Mr.  Webster,  when  he  says,  "  Who  is  there  among  us  that,  if  he 
should  find  himself  on  any  spot  of  the  earth  where  human  beings 
exist,  and  where  the  existence  of  other  nations  is  known,  would 
not  be  proud  to  say,  <  1  am  an  American,  I  am  a  countryman  of 
Washington,  I  am  a  citizen  of  that  republic  which,  although  it  has 
suddenly  sprung  up,  yet  there  are  none  on  the  globe  who  have  ears 
to  hear  and  have  not  heard  of  it,  who  know  anything  and  yet  do 
not  know  of  its  existence  and  its  glory.'  And,  gentlemen,"  adds 
he,  "  let  me  reverse  the  picture ;  let  me  ask  who  is  there  among 
us  that,  if  he  were  to  be  found  to-morrow  in  one  of  the  civilised 
countries  of  Europe,  and  was  there  to  learn  that  this  goodly  form 
of  government  had  been  overthrown — that  the  United  States  were 
no  longer  united,  that  a  death-blow  had  been  struck  upon  the  bond 
of  union,  that  they  themselves  had  destroyed  their  chief  good  and 


UNITED  STATES'  CONSTITUTION. 


291 


lent  danger  of 
y  of  Beparation 
land  of  "  stars 

seem  almost  a 
t  arrive.  Look- 
'  territory,  and 
sioi  is  scarcely 
form  the  abode 
lecting  on  the 
terests,  and  the 
)m  those  of  the 

such  materials 
itireness;  and, 
e  champions  of 
nance,  it  would 
ong  the  hetero- 
nion  of  North 

;hose  who  anti- 

leracy  from  the 

that  a  peaceful 

i  advancement, 

of  the  far  west, 

,ted  as  likely  to 

ation,)  I  would, 

jverance  of  the 

)eaceful  one,  as 

'reat  and  rising 

jan  to  be  found 

V^hat  heart  does 

y  expressed  by 

us  that,  if  he 

human  beings 

known,  would 

countryman  of 

although  it  has 

who  have  ears 

ing  and  yet  do 

itlemen,"  adds 

there  among 

the  civilised 

is  goodly  form 

cd  States  were 

upon  the  bond 

chief  good  and 


their  chief  honour — who  is  there  whose  heart  would  not  sink  within 
him  ?  W^-^  is  there  who  would  not  cover  his  face  for  very  shame  ?" 
There  Wi  no  doubt  about  the  beauty  of  the  passage  I  have 

thus  quoted,  and  there  can  be  as  little  doubt  of  its  truth.  Through- 
out this  record  of  my  impressions,  I  have  endeavoured  to  avoid 
saying  anything  as  to  the  peculiarities  of  mind  and  manners  exhi- 
bited by  the  Americans  as  a  people — not  deeming  the  time  spent 
by  me  among  them  sufficient  to  justify  prominent  allusions  to  such 
matters.     But  I  have  already  elsewhere  remarked,  that  there  are 
few  privileges  an  American  citizen  views  with  such  complaceny,  as 
his  membership  of  the  Union — the  privilege  of  calling  himself  a 
citizen  of  the  American  confederacy.     This  fact  lies  too  much  on 
the  surface  to  escape  the  notice  of  the  most  casual  observer.     The 
Englishman,  the  Scotchman,  or  the  Irist  man  have  each  their  sepa- 
rate subject  of  glorification  connected  with  their  several  lands  of 
the  rose,  the  thistle,  and  the  shamrock,  even  while  they  unite  in 
the  anthem  of  "  Rule  Britannia."     But  the  national  boast  of  the 
genuine  American  is,  not  that  he  belongs  to  New  York,  Massachu- 
setts, Kentucky,  or  Ohio ;  it  is  that  he  is  an  American — a  citizen 
of  the  United  States'  confederation — a  native  of  the  country  which 
gave  birth  and  fame  to  Washington,  and  a  denizen  of  that  land 
whose  standard  is  "  the  star-spangled  banner."     This  feeling  is 
the  chord  so  beautifully  and  effectively  touched  by  Mr.  Webster ; 
it  is  one  very  generally  prevalent  throughout  the  United  States, 
and  the  extent  to  which  it  prevails  is  one  of  the  causes  to  which 
I  look  for  a  greater  permanency  to  the  Federal  Union  of  America 
than  has  been  by  some  thought  probable.     Even  slavery  itself — 
even  the  restlessness  of  the  North  under  this  blot  on  the  national 
escutcheon,  and  its  anxiety  to  wipe  it  off,  conflicting  with  the  de- 
termination of  the  South  to  stand  by  and  to  support  it — will  not 
suffice  to  countervail  against  the  principle  to  which  I  have  referred. 
In  the  last  war  with  Grreat  Britain,  the  States  stood  together  at  a 
time  when  their  union  was  most  severely  tried,  through  the  fact  of 
the  .war  being  adverse  to  the  most  obvious  interests  of  at  least  one 
section  of  the  confederation ;  and,  dark  as  is  the  cloud  which  at 
present  menaces  the  integrity  of  the  American  Union,  I  do  not 
doubt  but  that,  under  the  auspices  of  such  men  as  Clay  and  Web- 
ster, some  measure  of  compromise  and  conciliation  will  yet  be 
found,  consistent  alike  with  the  principles  ol  the  North,  the  honour 
of  the  South,  and  the  safety  of  both.     No  doubt,  this  question  of 
slavery  is  the  difficulty  of  the  American  Union.     It  is  the  "  Irish 
question"  of  the  American  Legislature.     Nay,  more,  it  has  diffi- 
culties connected  with  it,  or  arising  from  it,  separate  and  indepen- 
dent of  the  question  of  the  integrity  of  the  central  power,  which 
has  been  already  shortly  considered.     The  very  manner  in  which 


292 


UNITED  STATES'  CONSTITUTION. 


SO  very  keen  a  discussion  upon  the  American  slave  question  has 
been  grafted  on  the  consideration  of  a  motion  for  the  admission  of 
California  as  a  member  of  the  Republican  Union,  proves  how  im- 
portant and  how  intense  the  feeling  which  pervades  the  States  upon 
this  subject  undoubtedly  is.  California  having  herself  resolved  on 
a  constitution  which  excluded  slavery,  there  was  no  absolute  ne- 
f'essity  for  mixing  up  the  question  of  her  admission  into  the  family 
of  states  with  the  general  topic  which  divides  cbe  North  from  the 
South.  It  might  be  natural,  but  it  was  not  necessary  so  to  do.  It 
might,  have  been  avoided,  had  the  South  and  its  Congressional 
leaders  so  Willed.  If  there  be,  in  the  form  of  California's  applica- 
tion to  be  admitted  to  the  privileges  of  brotherhood,  anything  irre- 
gular and  at  variance  with  the  constitution  (as  Mr.  Calhoun  alleges,) 
it  was  easy  to  have  discussed  the  motion  or  resolution  on  that 
ground  alone ;  and  precedents  are  to  be  found  in  the  admission  of 
earlier  states  of  the  confederation,  which  might  have  been  held 
authoritative  on  the  subject.  But  that  the  fact  was  not  so,  and  that 
the  application  of  the  American  El  Dorado^  or  golden  region,  has 
been  made  the  signal  for  sounding  the  tocsin  on  the  question  of 
slavery  throughout  the  Union,  powerfully  and  eloquently  evidences 
the  strength  of  the  feelings  entertained  upon  the  subject,  by  the 
two  great  parties  who  divide  between  them  the  influence  of  the 
confederation.  That  such  has  been  the  case  is  to  be  attributed 
mainly  to  the  South,  and,  in  part  at  least,  it  is  charged  against 
them  as  a  fault.  I  have  elsewhere  expressed  a  sympathy  with  the 
position  in  which  the  inhabitants  of  cbe  Southern  States  (many  of 
them  privately  and  on  principle  opposed  to  slavery,)  feel  themselves 
to  be  placed.  But,  at  the  same  time,  they  are  chiefly  accountable 
for  the  excitement  which  at  present  agitates  the  Union ;  and,  inas- 
much as  the  question  which  has  created  it  is  one  which  seems  to 
have  been  at  present  raised  without  adequate  cause  or  imperious 
necessity,  the  originating  of  it  may  be  regarded  as  a  political  mis- 
take, and  consequently  a  fault. 

But  whatever  its  destinies  for  the  future,  'prejudice  itself  cannot 
deny  that  the  past  history  of  the  American  Federal  Union  has  been 
one  of  scarcely  paralleled  prosperity.  For  above  sixty  years  it  has 
been  found  compatible  with,  if  not  conducive  to,  the  most  rapid  ad- 
vancement 1q  wealth  and  in  population  that  was  ever  recorded  in  the 
historic  annals  of  any  people.  Since  its  constitution  was  subscribed 
by  the  Deputies  in  1787,  the  Republic  of  North  America  has  acted 
with  a  closeness  of  union,  and  a  rapidity  of  increase,  which  contrasts 
most  strikingly  with  the  internal  wars  and  back-going  tendencies 
which  have  been  at  work  to  retard  the  advancement  of  the  numerous 
republics  to  be  seen  in  the  southern  portion  of  the  same  great  con- 
tinent. That  such  has  been  the  good  destiny  of  the  North  American 


3  question  has 
le  admission  of 
roves  how  im- 
lie  States  upon 
elf  resolved  on 
10  absolute  ne- 
into  the  family 
'^orth  from  the 
ry  so  to  do.  It 
Congressional 
jrnia's  applica- 
,  anything  irre- 
ilhoun  alleges,) 
lution  on  that 
le  admission  of 
ave  been  held 
lot  so,  and  that 
ien  region,  has 
he  question  of 
ently  evidences 
subject,  by  the 
ifluence  of  the 
p  be  attributed 
barged  against 
pathy  with  the 
tates  (many  of 
feel  themselves 
ly  accountable 
on;  and,  inas- 
^hich  seems  to 
or  imperious 
political  mis- 

itself  cannot 
nion  has  been 
y  years  it  has 
most  rapid  ad- 
recorded  in  the 
was  subscribed 
erica  has  acted 
Fhich  contrasts 
ng  tendencies 
the  numerous 
ime  great  con- 
>rth  American 


UNITED  STATES'  CONSTITUUION. 


293 


Union  is,  I  apprehend,  mainly  to  be  attributed  to  the  wisdom  of  the 
articles  of  i^.s  constitution  of  1787,  and  to  the  strength  and  solidity 
of  the  central  power  thereby  created.  Of  that  constitution  it  was 
remarked  by  Franklin,  at  the  time  he  signed  it,  "  I  consent  to  this 
constitution  because  I  expect  no  better,  and  because  I  am  not  sure 
it  is  not  the  best;''  and  by  Washington  himself,  the  chairman  of  the 
Convention,  that,  "  In  the  aggregate,  it  is  the  best  constitution  that 
can  be  obtained  at  this  epoch."  The  words  in  which  these  great  men 
thus  couched  their  eulogy  of  thv3  production  they  were  themselves 
mainly  instrumental  in  fashioning,  may  seem  to  argue  something 
like  moderate  expections  of  well-working  and  permanency.  It  is 
therefore  all  the  more  satisfactory  to  know  that,  tested  by  the  expe- 
rience of  nearly  two  generations  of  men,  the  federal  constitution  thus 
ushered  into  the  world — aft^^r  a  few  months'  sederunt  of  the  deputies 
who  formed  it — has  been,  if  not  productive  of,  at  least  entirely  con- 
sistent with,  an  unusually  large  amount  of  national  prosperity  and 
advancement  in  all  that  adorns  or  dignifies  a  national  career. 

With  these  few  observations  on  the  sources  whence  alone  danger 
may  be  anticipated  to  the  integrity  of  the  constitution  of  the  United 
States,  I  again  declare  myself  an  admirer  of  that  constitution ;  and 
it  is  because  I  am  so,  and  that  I  desire  its  stability  and  continuance, 
that  I  bring  my  notes  upon  it  to  a  termination,  by  remarking,  by 
way  of  moral— That  he  who  would  conserve  the  permanency  of  the 
federal  union  of  the  American  States,  must  strengthen  the  hands  of 
the  General  Government.  For  reasons  greatly  too  numerous  to  permit 
of  their  consideration  being  adventured  on  here,  there  are  no  grounds 
for  fear  of  the  central  power  proving  too  strong  for  that  of  the  indi- 
vidual states  of  which  it  is  the  keystone ;  but  there  ai'e  at  least  some 
reasons  for  supposing  that  the  centrifugal  forces  of  the  independent 
members  of  the  body  politic  may  prove  too  powerful  for  the  centri- 
petal attraction  which  directs  their  energies  toTfards  a  common  centre. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

"  But  midst  the  crowd,  the  hum,  the  shock  of  men, 
To  hear,  to  see,  to  feel  and  to  possess. 
And  roam  along,  tho  Vk  ^Id's  tired  denizen." 

Byron. 

"  May  Goyernment  never  degenerate  into  a  mob,  nor  mobs  grow  strong  enough  to  become 
goTeruments." — Sam  Suck's  Toast. 

Leaving  Washington,  after  an  inspection  of  its  environs  suflBcient 
to  satisfy  me  of  the  fact  that,  although  the  site  of  tho  city  is  well 
chosen,  the  land  by  which  it  is  surrounded  is  poor,  and  incapable  of 
high  cultivation,  I  returned  to  Baltimore,  thence  to  Philadelphia, 

25" 


NS 


294 


NEW  YORK. 


and  thence  to  New  York,  adopting,  as  I  have  already  said,  a  return 
route  from  Philadelphia  different  from  the  one  I  had  taken  in  my 
way  up  to  the  capital.  I  have  however  already  said,  regarding  both 
the  "  monumental "  and  the  "  Quaker  "  city,  all  that  I  think  likely 
to  interest  the  general  reader,  and  my  return  journey  was  not  marked 
by  any  peculiar  incidents,  o^  by  the  sight  of  any  particular  novelty. 

The  return  to  New  York  afforded  me  an  opportunity  of  visiting 
such  scenes  in  it  as  had  been  omitted  (through  want  of  invitation 
or  suggestion)  on  the  occasion  of  my  first  visit.  Amongst  these 
was  the  place  of  resort  known  to  the  New  York  populace  under 
the  cognomen  of  "  the  Castle  Garden,"  a  place  of  public  enter- 
tainment erected  on  a  mole,  and  connected  with  the  "  Battery  "  by 
a  bridge.  This  mole  was  formerly  occupied  as  a  fortress,  to  aid 
in  protecting  the  harbour ;  but  it  is  now  made  use  of  as  a  place  of 
amusement  j  the  area  of  it  being  chiefly  occupied  as  the  site  of  a 
great  amphitheatre,  capable,  the  guide-books  say,  of  containing 
ten  thousand  persons,  and  certainly  calculated  to  give  sitting  or 
standing  room  to  a  multitude  little  short  of  that  number.  At- 
tracted thither  by  the  announcement  of  an  Oratorio,  and  the 
seductive  promise  of  tlie  melodious  strains  of  a  brass  band  of  sur- 
passing excellence,  I  wandered  to  the  place,  alone  and  unknown. 
Farther,  however,  than  hearing  the  beautiful  anthem  of  "Old 
Hundred"  very  creditably  played,  and  enjoying  its  performance 
much,  ('albeit  the  sound  of  the  instruments  was  somewhat  inter- 
fered with  by  the  noise  from  the  eating  and  drinking  of  the  nu- 
merous parties  who  were  engaged  refreshing  nature  within  the 
gigantic  erection,)  there  was  nothing  seen  or  heard  within  the 
Castle  Garden  of  New  York  that  would  justify  or  require  more 
prominent  notice. 

The  inquiring  visitor  to  the  commercial  emporium  of  America 
may  be  induced  to  direct  his  investigations  to  the  state  of  crime 
and  pauperism  in  that  city ;  and  if  he  does  so,  he  will  be  some- 
what startled  on  the  subject  of  the  latter,  particularly  if  he  has 
left  the  Old  Country  under  the  idea  that,  in  coming  to  a  new  one, 
he  has  left  destitution  behind  him.  In  a  report  to  the  municipal 
authorities  of  New  York  by  Mr.  Matsell,  (the  chief  of  the  New 
York  police,)  in  1849,  it  is  stated  thai:,  in  eleven  police  districts, 
there  existed  2955  children  without  the  visible  means  of  support — 
homeless,  houseless  wanderers,  who  are  forced,  either  by  their  pa- 
rents, or  by  poverty  and  want  of  protection,  to  the  perpetration 
of  crime  for  their  subsistence.  Mr.  Matsell  further  states  that, 
of  these,  two-thirds  are  girls  of  from  eleven  to  sixteen  years  of 
age.  The  free  coloured  population  of  New  York,  in  particular,  is 
a  class  that  largely  contributes  to  fill  the  ranks  of  mendicity.  The 
condition  of  these  poor  people  is  indeed,  and  in  many  respects, 


NEW  YORK  TO  BOSTON. 


295 


'  said,  a  return 
d  taken  in  my 
regarding  both 
1 1  think  likely 
vas  not  marked 
ticular  novelty, 
lity  of  visiting 
it  of  invitation 
\.mongst  these 
)opulace  under 
r  public  enter- 
" Battery"  by 
fortress,  to  aid 
of  as  a  place  of 
IS  the  site  of  a 
,  of  containing 
give  sitting  or 
;  number.     At- 
itorio,  and  the 
iss  band  of  sur- 
and  unknown, 
ithem  of  "  Old 
ts  performance 
omewhat  inter- 
•ing  of  the  nu- 
ure  within  the 
ard  within  the 
r  require  more 

im  of  America 
state  of  crime 
will  be  some- 
ilarly  if  he  has 
^  to  a  new  one, 
the  municipal 
lef  of  the  New 
3olice  districts, 
is  of  support — 
ler  by  their  pa- 
ke perpetration 
ker  states  that, 
Ixteen  years  of 
In  particular,  is 
lendicity.  The 
[many  respects. 


deeply  to  be  deplored.  Looked  down  upon  and  despised,  as  they 
unquestionably  are  by  the  great  mass  of  the  white  population, 
they  form  a  kind  of  Pariah  tribe  amidst  the  rest  of  the  commu- 
nity. Though  freemen,  they  cannot  be  said  to  possess,  mu(  h  less 
to  enjoy,  the  inestimable  blessings  which  the  terra  "freedom" 
conveys  to  the  mind  of  a  resident  in  these  isles,  where 

"  No  slave  ever  trod." 

And  if  one-fourth  of  the  details  heard  by  me,  from  intelligent, 
influential  residents  in  the  city  of  New  York,  were  true,  the  state- 
ment of  Mr.  Hayne,  (one  of  the  senators  of  South  Carolina)  is 
not  very  greatly  exaggerated,  when  he  said  that  "  there  does  not 
exist  on  the  face  of  the  whole  earth  a  population  so  poor,  so 
wretched,  so  vile,  so  loathsome,  so  utterly  destitute  of  all  the  com- 
forts, conveniences,  and  decencies  of  life,  as  the  unfortunate  Blacks 
of  Philadelphia,  and  New  York,  and  Boston."  In  the  same  speech 
(delivered  in  1830)  Mr.  Hayne  says,  "  I  have  seen,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  one  of  the  most  moral,  religious,  and  refined  cities  of 
the  north,  a  family  of  free  Blacks  driven  to  the  caves  of  the  rocks, 
and  there  obtaining  a  precarious  subsistence  from  charity  and 
plunder." 

Having  remained  a  short  time  longer  in  New  York,  during 
which  I  confirmed  or  corrected  opinions  formed  during  my  first 
visit,  visited  some  additional  scenes,  enjoyed  the  society  of  kind 
and  esteemed  friends,  saw  enough  of  the  New  York  ladies  to  con- 
vince me  that  the  reputation  they  enjoy  foi  elegance  of  deport- 
ment and  beauty  of  countenance  is  fully  warranted,  and  had  some 
opportunities  of  satisfying  myself  as  to  the  handsome,  nay,  ex- 
tremely luxurious  manner  in  which  the  mercantile  aristocracy 
(and  it  is  beyond  all  question  that  there  is  both  an  aristoei  ;3y  of 
birth  and  an  aristocracy  of  wealth  in  the  great  republic)  of  New 
York  in  general  live,  I  proceeded  in  the  steamer  Massachusetts  to 
Stonington,  en  route  for  the  city  of  Boston,  the  chief  town  in  Mas- 
sachusetts, and  the  capital  of  Ne„  England. 

The  sail  to  Stonington  is  through  the  once  famed  and  much 
dreaded  strait  which  lies  at  the  west  end  of  Long  Island  Sound, 
about  eight  miles  east  of  New  York,  and  which  is  called  by  the 
more  descriptive  than  polite  name  of  Hell-gate.  The  passage  is 
narrow  and  tortuous  j  and  a  bed  of  rocks  below,  which  extends 
quite  across  the  river,  causes  the  water  to  boil  and  struggle  with 
considerable  violence.  But  Hell-gate,  1  owever  useful  to  terrorists 
in  days  gone  by,  or  advantageous  to  novelists  as  a  weapon  of  ex- 
citement in  latter  days — or  of  however  difficult  navigation,  even 
now,  to  sailing  vessels — has  to  the  traveller  by  steam,  and  in  such 
A  vessel  as  the  good  steamer  Massachusetts,  lost  not  only  its  dan- 


296 


NEW  YORK  TO  BOSTON. 


ger,  but  all  the  romance  of  its  interest.  Whether  it  was  my  sense 
of  security,  or  my  recent  introduction  to  the  whirlpool  of  Niagara 
and  the  rapids  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  that  produced  the  result,  I 
know  not ;  but  the  result  certainly  was,  that,  during  the  passage 
of  the  Hell-gate,  or  Hurl-gate,  I  felt  neither  an  extraordinary 
shaking,  nor  any  unusual  sensation  whatever,  as,  racing  with  an- 
other steamer,  (which  eventually  outstripped  us,)  our-  steamship 
hurried  through  the  turbulent  waters,  beating  them  down  with  her 
paddle-wheels,  and  tossing  them  aside,  as  if  in  her  impatience  to 
get  into  the  more  open  sea. 

The  sail  from  New  York  to  Stonington — a  distance  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  miles,  through  the  entire  length  of  Long 
Island  Sound,  and  with  Long  Island  on  the  one  side,  and  the  State 
of  Connecticut  on  the  other — is  exceedingly  pleasing.  It  did  not, 
however,  in  my  case  at  least,  afford  anything  farther  to  chronicle, 
either  in  the  way  of  description  or  of  narrative. 

From  Stonington  the  traveller  proceeds  by  railway  to  Boston,  the 
distance  being  ninety  miles.  This  railway  was  unquestionably  the 
best,  and  the  best  appointed  one,  I  travelled  on  during  my  excursion 
through  the  United  States.  I  might  with  truth  add,  that  my  good 
fortune  in  this  part  of  my  journeyings  was  not  confined  to  the  excel- 
lence of  the  railway  travelled  on.  It  extended  to  the  fellow  passen- 
gers— ladies  as  well  as  gentlemen — whom  I  had  the  pleasure  to  meet 
with  as  fellow  travellers  on  the  Stonington  and  Long  Island  Rail- 
way. This  passing  tribute  is  due  to  one  family  party  in  particular, 
to  whose  intelligent  courtesies  I  was,  as  a  solitary  stranger,  indebted 
in  this  part  of  my  journeyings,  and  who  considerately  and  politely 
offered  me  much  information  I  might  not  otherwise  have  so  easily 
procured.  Save  that  the  individual  members  of  the  travelling  party 
referred  to  were  residents  of  Boston,  or  its  neighbourhood,  I  had  no 
proper  means  of  ascertaining  who  or  what  they  were.  But  whoever 
they  were,  they  embodied  much  intelligence,  as  well  as  much  beauty. 
But  it  was  not  only  on  this  occasion  that,  in  the  course  of  my  tour, 
I  had  been  indebted  to  natives  of  the  good  city  of  Boston.  Even 
before  reaching  New  Orleans,  an  accidental  rencontre  had  led  to  an 
acquaintance  with  two  young  fellow  travellers,  both  of  them  from 
Boston,  and  with  whom  I  parted  in  the  crescent  city  with  consider- 
able regret.  Again,  at  the  Springs  of  Saratoga,  I  had  made  the 
acquaintance  of  a  gentleman  of  the  same  town,  whom  I  had  after- 
wards the  pleasure  of  meeting  in  his  native  place.  So  that,  although 
I  could  not  go  the  length  of  an  English  friend — one  who,  while  he 
carried  about  with  him  most  of  the  excellencies,  entertained  also  not 
a  few  of  the  sturdy  prejudices  of  John  Bull — when  he  asserted  (even 
from  the  few  specimens  of  Bostoniana  we  had  met  with  when  travel- 
ling together)  that  the  Boston  men  were  decidedly  the  most  gentle- 


NEW  ENGLAND. 


297 


was  my  sense 
ool  of  Niagara 
I  the  result,  I 
ig  the  passage 

extraordinary 
acing  with  an- 
our-  steamship 

down  with  her 
'  impatience  to 

ice  of  one  hun- 
ength  of  Long 
5,  and  the  State 
ig.  It  did  not, 
er  to  chronicle, 

f  to  Boston,  the 
questionably  the 
ag  my  excursion 
1,  that  my  good 
aed  to  the  excel- 
le  fellow  passen- 
Ipleasure  to  meet 
ng  Island  llail- 
ty  in  particular, 
ranger,  indebted 
tely  and  politely 
e  have  so  easily 
travelling  party 
rhood,  I  had  no 
!.     But  whoever 
sis  much  beauty, 
irso  of  my  tour, 
Boston.     Even 

0  had  led  to  an 

1  of  them  from 
;y  with  consider- 
.  had  made  the 
lom  I  had  after- 
\o  that,  although 
[e  who,  while  ho 
jrtained  also  not 
^e  asserted  (even 
rith  when  travel- 
he  most  gentle- 


manlike in  person  and  in  manners  of  any  in  the  Union,  I  was  in 
every  way  predisposed  for  favourable  impressions  of  Boston  and  its 
inhabitants.  Indeed,  so  strongly  was  my  temporary  companion  im- 
pressed with  this  idea  of  the  superior  republican  graces  of  the 
Bostonians,  that  he  one  day  said  to  me  at  Niagara,  in  reference  to  a 
somewhat  distingue  party,  consisting  of  two  ladies  and  two  gentle- 
men, who  joined  the  dinner  table — "  I  feel  sure  these  people  are 
either  English  or  Bostonians."  Whatever  the  citizens  of  Boston 
may  think  of  the  compliment,  I  can  assure  them  it  was  a  very  high 
one  in  the  opinion  of  its  author.  But  while  I  cannot,  in  justice  to 
my  friends  in  sundry  other  cities  and  towns  of  the  American  Union, 
give  the  inhabitants  of  the  capital  of  Massachusetts  so  exclusive  a 
place  in  the  field  of  American  intelligence  or  elegance,  I  can  honestly 
say,  that  my  limited  experience  of  Boston  and  its  society  has  left  a 
most  favourable  impression  on  my  mind,  and  excited  in  me  a  strong 
desire  to  repeat  my  visit. 

But  it  is  not  merely  on  account  of  the  society  of  Boston,  or  of 
personal  reminiscences  connected  with  some  of  its  denizens,  that  I 
drew  near  the  capital  of  Massachusetts  with  more  interest  than  I  had 
approached  any  other  locality  in  the  American  Union.  In  visiting 
the  seaboard  of  the  state  of  Massachusetts,  the  English  or  Scottish 
traveller  must  surely  feel  that  he  is  approaching  almost  to  hallowed 
ground. 

The  Pilgrim  Fathers — ^whcre  is  there  the  understanding  that  can 
appreciate  liberty  of  conscience,  or  the  heart  that  can  denounce 
oppression,  or  feel  for  the  oppressed,  that  does  not  sympathise  with 
their  struggles,  'and  respect  their  heaven-directed  and  heaven-sup- 
ported heroism  ?  On  an  autumnal  day  in  the  year  1620,  one  hun- 
dred and  one  persons,  men,  women,  and  children,  all  inclusive — 
themselves  the  winnowings  of  a  larger  body  who  had  previously 
made  the  same  attempt,  but  had  been  obliged  to  put  back  owing  to 
the  frailty  and  unseaworthiness  of  their  ships — set  sail  from  the  port 
of  Plymouth,  in  England,  to  cross  the  broad  Atlantic  in  the  May- 
flower, a  vessel  of  only  one  hundred  and  eighty  tons  burthen.  These 
emigrants  became  so  for  conscience  sake ;  and  that  they  felt  in  all 
their  intensity  those  ties  of  country  and  of  home  which  are  to  be 
found  in  nearly  every  human  breast,  may  well  be  gathered  from  the 
fact,  that  one  of  the  earliest  acts  done  by  them  after  their  arrival  at 
their  far-off  home  across  the  waters — done  even  while  as  yet  distracted 
by  the  pressing  temporal  necessities  of  their  position — was  to  draw 
up  a  voluntary  declaration,  or  deed  of  constitution,  in  which  they 
acknowledged  themselves  the  subjects  of  the  pedant  monarch  whose 
blind  adhesion  to  a  fancied  prerogative,  and  whose  insane  attempt  to 
establish  an  impossible  uniformity,  had  driven  them  forth  to  the 
then  inhospitable  wilderness  of  the  New  World.    In  this  document, 


IN    i 


298 


NEW  ENGLAND. 


thei 
ind( 


these  early  English  settlers  of  America  expressly  set  fo  rth  that  their 
voyage  had  been  undertaken  "  for  the  glory  of  God,  the  advancement 
of  the  Christian  name,  and  the  honour  of  their  king  and  country." 
The  "  Pilgrims,"  by  whom  this  work  of  Christian  colonization  was 
adventured  on,  are  correctly  described  by  the  United  States'  historian, 
Bancroft,  (vol.  i.  p.  307,)  as  "  Englishmen,  Protestants,  exiles  for 
religion,  men  disciplined  by  misfortune,  cultivated  by  opportunities 
of  extensive  observation,  equal  in  rank  as  in  rights,  and  bound  by  no 
code  but  that  which  might  be  imposed  by  religion,  or  might  be 
created  by  the  public  will." 

About  the  middle  of  November  in  the  same  year,  the  small  but 
resolved  band  came  in  sight  of  the  American  continent.  The  land 
at  which  they  first  touched  now  forms  part  of  the  state  of  Massa- 
chusetts ;  and  even  here  there  is  something  to  indicate  that  the  bark 
which  bore  them  was  heaven-directed.  When  they  set  out  from 
England  their  intention  had  been  to  proceed  southward,  at  least  as 
far  as  the  mouth  of  the  Hudson  river,  and  there  to  settle,  somewhere, 
in  all  probability,  about  the  place  where  the  town  of  New  York  now 
stands.  Had  they  succeeded  in  this  design,  it  is  little  less  than 
certain  that  one  and  all  of  them  would  have  fallen  victims  to  the 
comparatively  numerous  and  warlike  Indians  who  were  afterwards 
found  to  inhabit  Long  Island  and  its  vicinity.  But  no  such  danger 
await'id  the  little  band  in  the  more  northern  haven  into  which  Provi- 
dence had  sent  them.  The  territory  about  Cape  Cod,  and  for  a  long 
distance  inwards  from  the  coast,  had  been  sometime  previously 
devastated  by  a  pestilence,  under  the  withering  effects  of  which 
nearly  the  whole  of  its  savage  occupants  and  original  owners  had 
sunk  into  the  tomb.  So  much  had  the  country  been  depopulated 
that,  (to  use  the  graphic  but  touching  phraseology  of  the  journal 
which  describes  the  proceedings  of  these  colonists  during  the  first 
winter  of  their  location  in  America,  when  narrating  the  results  of  an 
exploring  expedition  immediately  after  their  arrival,)  "  after  this  we 
digged  in  sundry  like  places,  but  found  no  more  corn — nor  anything 
else  but  graves."  It  seems  to  me  that  there  is  something  in  this 
worthy  of  being  pondered  over.  The  Pilgrims  had  left  their  native 
land — the  land  of  their  forefathers,  and  of  their  fondest  assoeiations|<loing, 
— and  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  to  a  far-off  country,  of  which  theyifreedo 
knew  little  more  than  this,  that  it  was  a  land  of  vast  extent,  and  |an  unc 
comparatively  uninhabited ;  and  a  land  in  which,  in  some  way  or 
other,  their  own  country  claimed  a  right  of  property.  They  had 
done  this  for  conscience  sake,  and  because  they  would  not  give  way 
to  a  compelled  uniformity  in  matters  of  public  worship,  when  thej/ 
thought  it  sinful  so  to  do.  And  now  that  the  step  was  taken,  th 
God  they  served  had  guided  their  bark  in  a  direction  somewhat  con 
trary  to  their  intentions,  and  so  as  to  prevent  them  from  being  either 


com 

pani 

spec 

to  a 

Fatl 

man 

B 

ing( 

gran 

atP 

the  f. 

and 

geni{ 

numl 

chus< 

that, 

tion  ( 

settle 

forti 

broad 

praJs< 

who  I 

the  c 

potisi 

or  coi 

tryme 

end. 

portio 

of  pra 

who  ( 

vessel 

difficu 

ern  cc 


ppresi 
!scape( 
oyage 
ies  vfh 
heir  s( 
on  (hi 
hemse 


NEW  ENGLAND. 


299 


themselves  butchered  by  savage  cruelty,  or  compelled  to  assert  their 
independence  by  force,  and  to  commence  the  establishment  of  their 
commonwealth  with  hands  imbrued  in  the  blood  of  the  previous  occu- 
pants of  the  soil.  The  pestilence  had  driven  out  the  red  men,  irre- 
spective of  the  white  man's  approach.  His  lease  had  been  brought 
to  a  termination  by  the  hand  that  gave  it  him,  and  the  Pilgrim 
Fathers  of  New  England  were  the  appointed  successors  to  the  red 
man's  inheritance. 

But  it  were  altogether  out  of  place  to  prosecute  here  this  interest- 
ing subject  any  further,  or  to  follow  the  career  of  these  earliest  emi- 
grants to  New  England,  from  the  formation  of  their  first  settlement 
at  Plymouth,  (so  called  after  their  English  port  of  departure,)  on 
the  shores  of  Cape  Cod  Bay,  in  1620,  till,  by  their  own  expansion, 
and  the  introduction  of  other  and  not  in  all  cases  favourable  or  con- 
genial elements,  their  descendants  and  successors  expanded  into  the 
numbers  that  now  occupy  the  fertile  townships  of  the  states  Massa- 
chusetts and  Connecticut.     Neither  would  I  have  it  to  be  inferred 
that,  in  so  adding  my  humble  tribute  to  that  of  others,  in  vindica- 
tion of  the  high  principles  and  noble  motives  that  animated  the  first 
settlers  on  the  New  England  shores,  and  that  induced  them  to  seek 
for  themselves  and  their  descendants  a  home  on  the  other  side  of  the 
broad  Atlantic,  I  desire  to  claim  for  them  any  higher  measure  of 
pra'*se  than  I  would  for  the  many  equally  noble  and  devoted  men 
■^od"  and  for  a  long  I  ^^o  saw  it  to  be  their  privilege,  as  well  as  their  duty,  to  remain  in 
net'ime  previously  I  *^6  country  of  their  forefathert,  to  contend  against  a  spiritual  des- 
effects  of  whichlpotism,  and  to  fight  for  the  establishment  of  entire  liberty  of  creed 
liffinal  owners  had  I  o'  conscience — not  only  for  themselves  but  also  for  their  fellow  coun- 
been  depopulated!  ti'y^en — and  who,  by  so  re^maining  and  so  contending,  achieved  their 
ffv  of  the  iournallfi'^*!-     Were  it  requisite  to  make  choice  between  the  two,  and  to  ap- 
9  during  the  first!  portion  to  either  class,  at  the  expense  of  the  other,  the  greater  meed 
ff  the  results  of  an! of  praise,  it  would  be  a  difficult  task  to  perform.     If  the  Puritans 
1 ")  "  after  this  we!who  emigrated  encountered  the  storms  of  the  Atlantic  in  a  small 

J^ J^g^  anythwgW^^^^^^  at  a  stormy  period  of  the  year,  together  with  the  dangers  and 

something  in  this!^ifficulties  of  establishing  themselves  in  a  new  and  barbarous  north- 
d  left  their  nativel^ro  country  at  the  commencement  of  a  winter  season,  they,  by  so 
bndest  associationsi^oing,  secured  at  once  for  themselves  and  their  descendants  entire 
trv  of  which  theylfreedom  of  person  and  of  conscience,  besides  escaping  the  dangers  of 
vast  extent  and  f^  unequal  contest  with  a  bigot  king,  a  subservient  ministry,  and  an 
ppressive   priesthood.     If  the  Puritans  who   remained   at  home 
scaped  the  storms  which  the  little  Mayflower  encountered  on  the 
oyage  across  the  then  unfrequented  Atlantic  Ocean,  or  tbo  difficul- 
ies  which  beset  the  Pilgrims,  particularly  during  the  first  winter  of 
heir  settlement,  they  encountered  persecution,  and  penury,  and  pri- 
on (besides  worse  evils)  at  home,  and  they  did  this  not  merely  for 


fo  rth  that  their 
;he  advancement 
tr  and  country." 
colonization  was 
States'  historian, 
stants,  exiles  for 
by  opportunities 
and  bound  by  no 
on,  or  might  be 

air,  the  small  but 
inent.     The  land 
B  state  of  Massa- 
jate  that  the  bark 
ley  set  out  from 
iward,  at  least  as 
settle,  somewhere, 
of  New  York  now 
is  little  less  than 
len  victims  to  the 
0  were  afterwards 
lut  no  such  danger 
i  into  which  Provi- 


|h,  in  some  way  or 
)perty.  They  had 
70uld  not  give  way 
[orship,  when  thej 
Itep  was  taken,  th 
lion  somewhat  con- 


from  being  eithei  lliemselves,  but  for  others.    Thanks  be  to  God !  both  succeeded  in 


300 


BOSTON. 


their  endeavours.  The  one  laid  the  foundation  for  liberty  of  con- 
science and  of  worship  in  the  desert,  the  other  established  the  same 
principles  on  the  ruins  of  a  spiritual  despotism. 

But  not  to  prosecute  the  subject  farther,  I  have  deemed  myself 
justified  in  making  these  few  remarks  as  to  the  parties  by  whom,  and 
the  circumstances  under  which,  this  part  of  the  continent  of  North 
America  was  first  colonised,  because  I  regard  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  of 
New  England  as  the  noblest  body  of  pioneers  that  ever  went  forth 
from  any  land  on  a  mission  of  liberty;  and  to  account  sufficiently  for 
the  interest  with  which  I  have  long  viewed  all  that  relates  to  this 
particular  portion  of  the  American  Union. 

BOSTON. 

The  city  of  Boston,  however,  was  not  established  by  the  first  of 
the  Pilgrim  emigrants.  The  parties  who  settled  it  may,  indeed,  be 
distinguished  from  the  emigrants  by  the  Mayflower  by  "  some  shades 
of  theological  opinion."  Nor  was  it  until  1630,  ten  years  after  the 
arrival  of  the  first  pilgrims  at  Cape  Cod,  that  Boston  was  settled 
under  the  auspices  of  a  company  constituted  in  England  under  the 
title  of  the  Massachusetts  Company,  and  holding  a  charter  from 
King  Charles  I.,  who,  it  has  been  remarked,  strangely  enough  "  es- 
tablished by  this  charter  an  independent  provisional  government 
within  his  own  dominions,  at  the  very  time  he  was  seeking  to  over- 
throw the  chief  privileges  which  the  British  constitution  secured, 
and  was  entering  on  a  contest  which  involved  the  absolute  supre- 
macy of  Crown  or  Parliament."  I 

I  had  almost  feared  disappointment  on  the  occasion  of  my  visit  toj 
the  capital  of  the  five  p  nulous  states  included  within  the  limits  of 
New  England.     Having  ueard  so  much  of  it  and  of  its  beauty,  from 
natives  and  others,  I  scarce  expected  that  it  would  come  up  to  the 
ideal  formed  of  it.     But  it  was  not  so.     I  was  much  pleased — in 
many  particulars  delighted.     The  situation  might  not  equal  the  pre- 
conception ;  for,  although  the  town  lies  in  a  kind  of  crescent  around 
the  harbour,  and  the  country  beyond  rises  gradually,  yet  the  rise  is 
neither  so  regular  nor  so  great  as  to  give  a  fine  view  of  the  city  from 
any  part  of  the  streets  or  harbours.     But  the  private  houses  are  so 
handsome,  and  so  well  appointed ;  the  shops  are  so  good,  and  appa 
rently  so  well  stocked ;  and  the  inhabitants,  male  and  female,  seemed 
as  a  body,  to  be  so  well  dressed  and  cleanly,  and  withal  so  cheerful 
and  healthful,  that,  at  the  very  first  promenade  and  drive  I  had 
about  the  town  of  Boston,  I  was  most  favourably  and  agreeably  inij 
pressed.     Moreover,  there  seemed  to  be  the  union  of  an  academif 
air  with  a  business-like  activity  about  this  city,  that  I  had  not  ob 
served  in  any  other  of  the  towns  of  the  United  States  or  of  Canada 


SIO] 

the 

abo 

wit 

in! 

foil 

war 

inh 

anti 

as  c 

Uni 

the 

the 

obts 

coui 

ingt 

ton 

natu 

stati 

Wes 

otbe 

\\ 

a  rei 

fore 

oftl 

toT^ 

tion, 

No  c 

ter  0 

earm 

were 

spiri 

Brou 

he  SI 

duty 

of  C( 

no  m 


BOSTON. 


301 


)r  liberty  of  con- 
bblished  the  same 

re  deemed  myself 
lies  by  whom,  and 
)ntinent  of  North 
*ilgrim  Fathers  of 
t  ever  went  forth 
ant  sufficiently  for 
lat  relates  to  this 


led  by  the  first  of 
it  may,  indeed,  be 
r  by  "  some  shades 
ten  years  after  the 
Joston  was  settled 
Sngland  under  the 
ig  a  charter  from 
igely  enough  "  es- 
sional  government 
IS  seeking  to  over- 
istitution  secured, 
le  absolute  supre- 

sion  of  my  visit  to 

ithin  the  limits  of 

of  its  beauty,  from 

lid  come  up  to  the 

much  pleased — in 

not  equal  the  pre- 

of  crescent  around 

illy,  yet  the  rise 

iw  of  the  city  from 

ivate  houses  are  so 

so  good,  and  appa- 

.nd  female,  seemed, 

withal  so  cheerful 
I  and  drive  I  had 

and  agreeably  inv 
)n  of  an  academic 
that  I  had  not  ob 
tates  or  of  Canada 


But  perhaps  it  was  the  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  Harvard  Univer- 
sity was  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood,  and  that  I  had  the  honour 
of  an  introduction  to  one  of  the  Professors  there — to  Professor  Long- 
fellow, whose  contributions  to  the  literary  world  have  given  him  a 
deserved  fame,  which  is  as  great  in  Europe  as  it  can  be  in  America~- 
that  threw  such  a  classic  halo  round  my  first  impressions  of  the  city 
of  Boston. 

Among  the  many  celebrities  of  Boston,  seen  by  me  on  the  occa- 
sion of  my  visit,  I  find  in  my  note-book  prominent  mention  made  of 
the  following: — (1.)  The  common;  a  verdant  park  containing 
above  forty  acres  of  ground,  and  having  in  the  centre  of  it  a  pond 
with  a  recently  erected  jet  d'eau.  This  pleasure-ground  is  situated 
in  the  western  or  more  fashionable  part  of  the  city,  for  Boston  has 
followed  the  European,  if  aot  the  invariable,  rule  of  moving  west- 
ward. In  its  vicinity  are  the  residences  of  some  of  the  principal 
inhabitants  of  the  state,  together  with  a  mansion  displaying  greater 
antiquity  than  its  neighbours,  and  shown  among  the  lions  of  Boston 
as  once  the  residence  of  John  Hancock,  the  first  President  of  the 
United  States  of  America,  and  one  of  the  most  conspicuous  men  of 
the  Kevolutionary  period.  (2.)  In  the  same  locality  stands  also 
the  State  House  of  Massachusetts,  from  the  lofty  dome  of  which  is 
obtained  a  remarkably  fine  view  of  Boston  and  the  surrounding 
country.  In  this  State  House  there  is  a  pedestrian  statue  of  Wash- 
ington, from  the  studio  of  Chantrey.  Of  all  the  statues  of  Washing- 
ton in  which  America  abounds,  this  appeared  to  me  to  be  the  most 
natural,  easy,  and  graceful.  It  reminded  me  not  a  little  of  the 
statue  to  the  British  statesman,  George  Canning,  to  be  seen  iu 
Westminster  Hall,  and  it  impressed  me  fully  as  much  as  did  that 
other  beautiful  production  of  Chantrey's  art. 

When  on  the  subject  of  statues  to  Washington,  I  may  here  record 
a  remark  I  find  entered  by  me  among  my  memoranda,  shortly  be- 
fore I  uttered  the  unwelcome  "  farewell,"  when  leaving  the  shores 
of  the  United  States.  Nearly  everywhere  you  go,  there  are  statues 
to  Washington — stone,  marble,  and  even  wood,  are  put  in  requisi- 
tion, to  multiply  representations  of  him.  All  this  is  very  right. 
No  one  contemplates  with  greater  veneration  than  I  do  the  charac- 
ter of  the  great  and  good  George  Washington,  and  no  one  more 
earnestly  wishes  that  statesmen,  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic, 
were  more  gifted  with  his  noble,  disinterested,  and  far-seeing 
spirit.  In  a  word,  I  fully  acquiesce  in  the  whole  of  Henry  (Lord) 
Brougham's  eloquent  eulogium,  and  entirely  concur  with  him  v  hen 
he  says,  after  quoting  Washington's  latest  words — "  It  will  be  the 
duty  of  the  historian  and  the  sage,  in  all  ages,  to  omit  no  occasion 
of  commemorating  this  illustrious  man ;  and,  until  time  shall  be 
no  more,  will  a  test  of  the  progress  which  our  race  has  made  in 


302 


BOSTON. 


wisdom  and  in  virtue  be  derived  from  the  veneration  paid  to  the 
immortal  name  of  Washington."  Therefore  would  I  say  to  all, 
and  to  his  countrymen  especially — Commemorate  Washington  and 
his  heroic  virtues  in  every  possible  way ;  display  by  all  means  you 
can — by  pictures,  by  monuments,  and  by  statues — ^your  veneration 
for  his  name.  But  there  is  no  necessity  for  stopping  there. 
Toujours  perdrix — without  any  intermixture — is  apt  to  produce  a 
feeling  of  sameness,  if  not  satiety.  There  is  no  necessity  for  con- 
fining yourselves  so  much  as  you  have  done,  even  to  Washington. 
No  doubt,  as  yet,  the  United  States  of  America  has  not  a  very 
lengthened  catalogue  of  illustrious  names.  The  comparative  short- 
ness of  her  course,  as  a  nation,  precludes  the  possibility  of  her 
having  such  a  list.  But  still  she  has  many  names  which  well  de- 
serve not  only  a  place  in  a  nation's  gratitude,  but  some  substan- 
tial token  of  a  nation's  regard.  Even  among  Washington's 
military  compatriots,  there  were  several  men  deserving  of  some 
national  testimonial  or  tribute  of  respect ;  and  young  as  the  United 
States  of  America  are  as  an  independent  nation,  she  is  nevertheless 
rich  in  the  possession  of  various  names  of  high  rank  in  the  annals 
of  literature,  art,  and  science,  to  the  commemoration  of  whose 
labours,  for  the  benefit  of  their  country  and  kind,  some  part  of  the 
funds  and  of  the  gratitude  of  the  nation  might  fittingly  be  de- 
voted. To  speak  of  such  men,  in  reference  to  the  whole  of  the 
American  Union,  were  too  wide  a  field.  But  to  confine  the  obser- 
vation to  this  particular  state  of  Massachusetts.  Among  the  ear- 
lier founders  of  the  state  as  a  colony,  the  name  and  fame  of 
Governor  Bradford  stands  deservedly  high.  He  was  the  first  his- 
torian of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers,  and  he  died  in  1657,  "  lamented," 
says  Mather,  "  by  all  the  colonies  of  New  England,  as  a  common 
father  to  them  |all,"  and  leaving  behind  him  a  library  of  275 
volumes,  which  may  be  considered  as  the  first  library  of  which 
mention  is  made  in  the  chronicles  of  America.  In  the  same  early 
list  will  be  found  also  the  name  of  John  Winthrop,  the  first  gover- 
nor of  the  colony  established  under  King  Charles'  charter,  on  the 
site  now  occupied  by  the  city  of  Boston :  of  whom  it  has  been 
remarked,  that  his  character  for  ability,  religion,  and  moderation 
was  so  generally  appreciated,  that  "he  was  admired  not  only 
throughout  New  England,  but  in  the  mother  country,  and  at 
court;"  and  of  whom  Charles  I.  observed,  "  That  it  was  a  pity  that 
such  a  worthy  gentleman  should  be  no  better  accommodated  than 
with  the  hardships  of  America." 

No  doubt,  a  marble  monument,  erected  to  the  memory  of  Brad- 
ford, adorns  the  spot  on  Burial  Hill,  Plymouth,  where  lie  the 
mortal  remains  of  himself  and  of  his  son;  and  in  the  King's 
Chapel  burying-ground,  Tremont  Street,  Boston,  there  is  a  monu- 


BOSTON. 


803 


tion  paid  to  the 
lid  I  say  to  all, 
Washington  and 
)y  all  means  you 
-your  veneration 
stopping   there, 
apt  to  produce  a 
iccessity  for  con- 
i  to  Washington. 
\  has  not  a  very 
)mparative  short- 
)ossibility  of  her 
s  which  well  de- 
it  some  substan- 
ig  Washington's 
jserving  of  some 
ng  as  the  United 
le  is  nevertheless 
ink  in  the  annals 
oration  of  whose 
some  part  of  the 
t.  fittingly  be  de- 
the  whole  of  the 
jonfine  the  obser- 
Among  the  ear- 
me  and  fame  of 
was  the  first  his- 
57,  "  lamented," 
,nd,  as  a  common 
a  library  of  275 
library  of  which 
n  the  same  early 
p,  the  first  gover- 
s'  charter,  on  the 
horn  it  has  been 

and  moderation 
imired  not  only 

country,  and  at 
it  was  a  pity  that 
jommodated  than 

nemory  of  Brad- 
h,  where  lie  the 
I  in  the  King's 
there  is  a  monu- 


ment over  a  grave,  which  records  the  fact  that  there  repose  the 
I  ashes  of  "  John  Winthrop,  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  who  died 
in  1649."  But  it  seems  to  me  these  tributes  are  of  too  private  a 
nature,  considering  the  claims  and  excellencies  of  the  men  whoso 
memories  they  are  designed  to  perpetuate ;  and  that,  with  their 
monumental  taste,  the  Bostonians  might  devote  some  part  of  their 
funds  to  the  adorning  of  thei'*  really  fine  city  with  testimonials  to 
men  like  these.  Or,  to  come  down  to  more  recent  times — to  times 
when  America  had  assumed  a  separate  identity,  and  an  independent 
position  as  a  nation — Benjamin  Franklin,  at  once  one  of  the  most 
celebrated  philosophers,  and  one  of  the  clearest-headed  politicians, 
of  the  age  in  which  he  lived,  was  a  native  of  Boston ;  and  the  late 
lamented  Justice  Story,  if  not  a  native  of  the  city  or  of  the  state, 
at  least  lived  and  laboured  in  Boston  for  a  large  part  of  his  life. 
With  such  and  similar  claims  upon  their  gratitude,  the  inhabitants 
of  Massachusetts  have  certainly  no  reason  for  arguing  that  their 
commemoration  of  the  merits  and  services  of  their  ancestors  is  con- 
fined to  Washington  by  the  necessity  of  the  case.  Similar  remarks 
might  be  made  in  reference  to  many  of  the  other  states  of  the 
American  Confederacy;  and,  without  questioning  for  a  moment 
the  propriety  of  erecting  so  many  testimonials  to  the  name  and 
fame  of  the  "  Liberator,"  it  were  only  as  well  and  as  creditable  to 
remember  others  of  the  great  departed. 

The  name  of  Boston  savours  strongly  of  the  old  England  remi- 
niscences,  which   Governor   Winthrop   and  his   fellow   colonists 
brought  with  them  to  the  woods  and  wilds  of  America.     The 
Indian  name  of  this  particular  locality  in  which  the  town  stands 
was  Shawmut,  or  the  Living  Fountain ;  and  the  circumstances 
which  are  supposed  to  have  led  t^  the  selection  of  the  spot,  were 
the  vicinity  to  the  sea,  the  abundance  of  pure  water,  and  the 
swelling  though  not  lofty  summits  afterwards  called  Copps  Hill, 
Fort  Hill,  and  Beacon  Hill,  which,  being  three  in  number,  have 
in  their  turn  given  rise  to  the  name  of  Tremont,  with  which  the 
streets,  hotels,  squares,  and  places  in  Boston,  and  some  neigh- 
bouring towns,  are  so  very  liberally  supplied. 
,       But  passing  in  rapid  review,  (1)  Harvard  College,  which  is 
I  situated  about  three  miles  from  Boston,  and  is  the  oldest  college  in 
the  States,  (having  been  incorporated  in  1638,  in  consequence  of 
a  legacy  of  £779  17s.  2d.  left  for  the  purpose  by  the  Rev.  John 
Harvard,)  and  which,  from  a  beginning  so  humble,  has  risen  so 
far  that  it  now  comprises  an  academical  institution,  halls  of  law, 
of  divinity,  and  of  medicine,  with  several  libraries,  containing 
together  about  40,000  volumes ;  (2)  Faneuil  Hall,  left  to  the  town 
by  a  gentleman  of  the  name  of  Faneuil,  which  contains  a  portrait 
of  Washington,  and  also  one  of  the  donator  of  the  building ;  (3) 


804 


BOSTON. 


Illl 


t-    'ii 


The  Cuatom-House,  a  large  fine  building  in  the  Doric  style  of 
architecture;  and  other  objects  to  which  the  stranger's  attention 
in  Boston  is  generally,  or  will  be  naturally  directed,  I  would  linger 
for  a  little  over  an  attempt  to  describe  Boston  Cemetery,  situated 
at  Mount  Auburn. 

I  have  already  said  that,  during  my  visit  to  the  United  States  of 
America,  I  saw  many  burying  grounds  of  exceeding  beauty  and 
appropriate  quietude ;  and  I  trust  it  is  not  a  mere  appetite  for 
melancholy  musings,  but  a  principle  which  declares  it  to  be  true 
wisdom  to  mingle  sadness  with  mirth,  that  has  engendered  in  me 
somewhat  of  a  taste  for  visiting  such  scenes.  But  whether  it  be 
that  my  frame  of  mind,  at  the  time  I  visited  Mount  Auburn  Ceme- 
tery, predisposed  me  to  be  favourably  impressed  with  the  charac- 
teristics of  the  scene,  or  that  I  was  peculiarly  fortunate  in  the 
society  in  which  I  visited  it,  certain  it  is,  that  I  know  of  no  last 
resting-place  for  the  departed,  that  rises  to  my  mind  as  containing 
more  of  the  elements  of  an  appropriate  scene  of  repose,  after  the 
turmoil  and  the  care  of  life  are  over.  It  was  on  the  evening  pre- 
vious to  my  leaving  America  that  I  so  visited  the  Cemetery  at 
Mount  Auburn.  Causes  personal  to  myself  had  depressed  my 
spirits  to  a  somewhat  unusual  degree ;  and  in  complying  with  my 
request,  by  taking  their  afternoon  drive  in  the  direction  of  Mount 
Auburn,  and  in  visiting  the  cemetery  in  question,  my  kind  friends 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  A conferred  on  me  as  great  a  favour  as  they 

could  ha^e  done,  and  acted  in  entire  accordance  with  the  complex- 
ion of  my  wishes. 

The  Mount  Auburn  Cemetery  of  Boston  embraces  a  large  space 
of  ground  of  a  very  undulating  character,  well  covered  with  wood, 
and  containing  several  ponds  of  water,  dells,  and  glens,  and  every- 
thing to  adapt  it  for  the  purpose  to  which  it  is  devoted.  The 
grounds  are  laid  out  with  much  taste  and  simplicity :  there  is  more 
than  the  usual  amount  of  taste  and  of  variety  among  the  tombs 
and  monuments,  and  they  are  not  as  yet  too  numerous  to  detract 
from  the  rustic  beauty  of  the  calm  retreat.  Its  characteristics  are 
neatly  embodied  in  certain  lines  I  observed  in  an  American  news- 
paper— lines  recited  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Dowling  of  New  York,  when 
dedicating  another  cemetery,  and  which  are  the  composition  of  a 
daughter  of  the  reverend  speaker  : — 

"  I'd  lay  me  down  where  the  spring  may  crown 
My  tomb  with  its  earliest  nov/ers, 
Where  the  Zephyrs  stray,  and  the  sunbeams  play, 
y  'Mid  the  peaceful  cypress  bowers." 

"Within  the  bounds  of  the  Necropolis  is  a  place  named  Conse- 
cration Dell,  a  lovely  little  spot,  where  Justice  Story  delivered 
the  inauguration  discourse  when  the  cemetery  was  opened  to  the 


TOWN  OF  LOWELL. 


805 


Doric  style  of 
Dger's  attention 
,  I  would  linger 
uetery,  situated 

United  States  of 
iing  beauty  and 
ere  appetite  for 
5S  it  to  be  true 
gendered  in  me 
t  whether  it  be 
b  Auburn  Ceme- 
rith  the  charac- 
brtunate  in  the 
know  of  no  last 
[id  as  containing 


•eposoj 


after  the 


he  evening  pre- 
;he  Cemetery  at 
i  depressed  my 
iplying  with  my 
2etion  of  Mount 
my  kind  friends 
favour  as  they 
th  the  complex- 

jes  a  large  space 
ered  with  wood, 
;len8,  and  every- 
de  voted.  The 
^ :  there  is  more 
ong  the  tombs 
rous  to  detract 
aracteristics  are 
American  news- 
^^ew  York,  when 
omposition  of  a 


ay, 

named  Consc- 

Story  delivered 

opened  to  the 


public.  In  the  vicinity  of  this'dell  appropriately  stands  the  family 
monument,  erected  over  the  grave  of  the  speaker  of  the  discourse 
—the  able,  erudite,  and  excellent  Story — a  distinguished  jurist, 
whose  accuracy,  learning,  and  ability  are  as  widely  known,  and  I 
trust  as  generally  appreciated,  in  Great  Britain  as  they  are  in 
America.  The  tongue  that  inaugurated  the  locality  is  silent,  but 
the  genius,  wisdom,  and  worth  of  the  speaker  "  liveth  and  spcakcth 
for  ever."  The  monument  over  Story's  grave  is  exceedingly  sim- 
ple, aiid  the  inscription  on  it  is  neat  and  appropriate, — 

"  lie  is  risen — lie  is  not  here." 

In  another  part  of  the  grounds  stands  a  semi-public  monument, 
erected  to  the  memory  of  the  distinguished  and  accomplished  Dr. 
Channing,  (long  one  of,  if  not  the  most  eminent  of,  the  divines 
and  pulpit  orators  of  America,)  by  a  few  of  his  Christian  friends. 
So  runs  the  inscription.  In  this  burying-place  there  lie  also  the 
remains  of  the  well-known  phrenologist.  Dr.  Spurzheim,  who  died 
at  Boston  when  on  a  tour  through  the  United  States,  in  the  pro- 
mulgation of  his  peculiar  and  favourite  theories. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  within  twenty-six  miles  of  it,  and 
connected  with  it  by  railway,  stands  the  manufacturing,  or  as  it 
may  be  correctly  termed  the  factory  town  of  Lowell,  of  which  so 
much  has  of  late  years  been  written  by  travellers  from  Europe.  It 
is  not  my  intention  to  add  much  to  the  mass  of  statements  made 
by  these  writers,  having  introduced  the  subject  simply  to  mention 
one  or  two  facts  connected  with  the  origin  of  Lowell,  which  I  have 
not  seen  in  any  other  published  work,  and  which  I  believe  are  only 
generally  known  on  the  spot  or  in  its  neighbourhood. 

The  parties  to  whom  belong  the  honour  of  having  originated  the 
undertaking  which  led  to  the  foundation  of  the  city  of  Lowell,  are 
the  late  Patrick  T.  Jackson,  and  the  Honourable  Nathan  Appleton 
of  Boston,  now  or  lately  one  of  the  senators  for  the  state  of  Mas- 
sachusetts in  the  upper  house  of  the  United  States  legislature.  It 
was,  I  believe,  when  travelling  in  Europe  that  the  idea  first  pre 
sented  itself  to  the  mind  of  Mr.  Appleton.  At  all  events,  after 
his  return  to  Boston,  it  occurred  both  to  him  and  to  Mr.  Jackson 
that  there  was  an  opportunity  for  introducing  the  manufacture  and 
printing  of  calicoes  into  Massachusetts ;  and  in  the  summer  of 
1821  they  together  made  an  excursion  into  the  neighbouring  state 
of  New  Hampshire,  in  search  of  a  suitable  locality  in  which  to 
commence  their  operations,  but  without  finding  any  which  equalled 
their  expectations  or  their  requirements.  On  their  return  to  Mas- 
sachusetts, the  idea  suggested  itself  of  purchasing  the  stock  of  the 
Patucket  Canal  on  the  Merrimack  river  (which  had  been  originally 
constructed  in  1793  simply  as  a  channel  for  boats  and  rafts  round 

26* 


306 


TOWN  OF  LOWELL. 


the  Falls)  so  as  to  secure  it  as  a  means  of  turning  the  machinery 
of  the  factories  to  be  erected ;  and  to  purchase  also  such  lands  as 
might  be  necessary  for  the  purposes  contemplated.  At  this  stage 
of  the  arrangements  a  Mr.  Kirk  Boott  was  taken  into  the  pro- 
jected enterprize ;  and  the  matter  progressed  under  his  manage- 
ment and  agency  until  j.  company  was  formed,  under  the  name  of 
the  Merrimack  Manufacturing  Company,  which  may  be  regarded 
as  the  germ  and  foundation  of  the  present  city  of  Lowell.  This 
was  in  1 822 ,  and  while  there  was  then  only  one  company  and  a 
population  not  exceeding  200  people,  Lowell  now  contains  above 
30,000  inhabitants,  and  there  are  about  a  dozen  different  joint- 
stock  manufacturing  companies  carrying  on  business  in  it  in  a  very 
extensive  way.  It  were  foreign  to  the  character  of  a  work  like  the 
present,  to  enter  into  details  regarding  the  names,  constitution, 
capital,  or  operations  of  these  several  companies — although  there 
are  abundant  published  materials  to  be  had  in  Boston  to  enable  a 
very  clear  statement  to  be  given  on  the  subject.  But  it  may  not 
be  out  of  place  to  mention  that,  notwithstanding  the  productions 
of  Lvjwell  being  protected  in  their  American  home  markets  from 
the  competition  of  foreign  goods  of  a  similar  or  substitutive  cha- 
racter, the  intcest  payable  on  the  stock  of  none  of  the  companies 
is  greater  than  that  which  may  be  obtained  by  lending  money  on 
the  security  of  lands  and  houses,  and  does  not  exceed  that  paid  on 
the  stock  of  most  of  the  joint-stock  banks  of  Scotland.  This 
appears  from  a  printed  tabular  statement  I  saw  when  in  Boston, 
and  from  which  I  noted  down  the  general  result.  But  this  fact 
does  not  detract  from  the  merit  of  the  men  who,  with  far-sighted 
policy,  saw  the  capabilities  of  Lowell  as  a  fitting  location  for  manu- 
facturing operations,  and  acted  upon  their  anticipations.  In  a  letter 
addressed  by  the  founder,  Mr.  N.  Appleton,  to  the  Middlesex  Me- 
chanics' Association  of  Lowell,  (in  reference  to  their  request  that 
he  should  sit  for  a  portrait  of  himself  to  be  placed  in  their  hall,) 
Mr.  Appleton  mentions  that,  when  he  and  his  enterprising  asso- 
ciates first  visited  the  scenes  of  their  intended  operations,  in 
November  1821,  one  of  the  party  remarked  that  some  of  them 
might  probably  live  to  see  the  place  contain  twenty  thousand  inha- 
bitants. The  prediction,  extravagant  as  it  seemed  at  the  time,  has 
been  realized.  Mr.  Appleton  himself  has  lived  to  see  Lowell  con- 
tain thirty  thousand  inhabitants,  and  there  is  every  prospect  that 
he  will  yet  live  to  see  within  it  double  that  population.  For  the 
sake  of  his  country,  as  well  as  for  the  sake  of  those  more  closely 
connected  with  him,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  he  may  bo  spared  to 
do  so. 

Some  time  back  I  remarked,  that  it  was  on  the  evening  of  the  day 
previous  to  my  leaving  the  United  States  that,  in  the  society  of  the 


FEELINGS  ON  LEiVVING  AMERTCA. 


307 


;  the  machinery 
30  such  lands  as 
.  At  this  stage 
in  into  the  pro- 
ler  his  manage- 
der  the  name  of 
may  be  regarded 
if  Lowell.  This 
company  and  a 
V  contains  above 
i  diflferent  joint- 
!ss  in  it  in  a  very 
if  a  work  like  the 
les,  constitution, 
—although  there 
oston  to  enable  a 
But  it  may  not 
the  productions 
le  markets  from 
substitutive  cha- 
of  the  companies 
inding  money  on 
seed  that  paid  on 
Scotland.  This 
when  in  Boston, 

But  this  fact 
with  far-sighted 
cation  for  manu- 
tions.  In  a  letter 
e  Middlesex  Me- 
eir  request  that 
i  in  their  hall,) 
iterprising  asso- 

operations,  in 
some  of  them 
y  thousand  inha- 
at  the  time,  has 
)  see  Lowell  con- 
ry  prospect  that 
ation.  For  the 
)sc  more  closely 
ay  bo  spared  to 

rening  of  the  day 
le  society  of  the 


gentleman  above  referred  to,  and  of  his  lady,  I  visited  the  cemetery  at 
Mount  Auburn,  and  that  my  feelings  on  the  occasion  were  in  keep- 
ing with  the  scene.  They  were  so,  despite  the  cheoriog  thoughts 
that  on  the  morrow  I  was  to  resume  careering  over  the  waters  on  my 
return  to  Old  England  and  to  home  j  and  also  despite — or  rather,  I 
should  say,  in  consequence  of  the  kindness  of  my  reception  in  America 
— kindness  which  I  had  experienced  in  almost  every  part  of  it — often 
from  total  strangers.  But  I  was  now  to  leave  America  with  but 
little  probability  of  ever  agaiu  revisiting  it;  and  notwithstanding 
the  pleasure  with  which  I  regarded  a  return  to  my  "  ain  countrie,"  I 
am  not  ashamed  to  confess  that  it  was  with  many  painful  emotions 
that  I  contemplated  doing  so. 

As  to  the  reception  and  treatment  in  Am  erica  of  so  humble  an 
individual  as  the  Author  of  these  volumes,  all  that  is  to  be  said  may 
and  will  be  recorded  in  a  single  sentence.  From  the  period  when  I 
jBrst  put  my  foot  on  that  continent,  until  I  left  it,  I  received  much 
unvarying  kindness,  not  only  from  those  to  whom  my  credentids  intro- 
duced mc,  but  from  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  generally;  and,  if 
I  did  hear  or  overhear  at  any  time  remarks  of  a  nature  calculated  to 
wound  my  feelings,  or  pwchance  my  prejudices,  as  a  British  subject, 
it  was  from  the  lips  of  comparatively  ignorant  and  illiterate  persons, 
and  usually  when  the  utterer  knew  as  little  about  the  person  who 
overheard  him  as  he  did  about  the  subjetl;  on  which  he  was  speaking. 
Let  me  add  chat  I  felt  it  to  be  my  duty  to  reciprocate  in  civility,  and 
— without  disguising  ray  unfavourable  opinions,  if  circumstances 
naturally  led  to  an  expression  of  them — not  unnecsessarily  to  obtrude 
them  where  their  exposition  was  profitless  or  uncalled  for.  I  heart- 
ily concur  with  the  statement  of  the  author  of  a  little  book  on  the 
United  States,  lately  published,  when  he  gives  it  as  the  result  of 
his  experience,  that  "  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  do  not  dis- 
like Englishmen  individually — on  the  contrary  they  are  rather  dis- 
posed to  like  them,  and  to  pay  them  most  respectful  attention  when 
they  visit  America.  Their  dislike  is  io  John  Bull,  the  traditional, 
big,  bullying,  borough-mongering  and  monopolist,"  (he  might  havfi 
added  prejudiced)  "John  Bull."  Neither  do  the  inhabitants  of 
Great  Britain  dislike  their  brethren  of  the  United  States :  "  on  the 
contrary,  we  are  disposed  to  like  them,  and  to  give  them  a  cordial 
welcome  amongst  us.  But  our  dislike  is  to  Jonathan — bragging, 
annexing,  and  repudiating  Jonathan."  These  respective  antipathies 
are  surely  equally  well  founded  :  but  the  intelligent  of  the  two  na- 
tions having  nothing  in  common  with  such  absurd  extremes,  and 
noihing  to  do  with  them,  unless  it  be  to  make  them  the  subject  of 
mutual  amusement.  Sprung  from  the  same  Anglo-Saxon  ancestry ; 
spooking  :he  t^me  copious  and  energetic  language;  and  seemingly, 
and  in  a  very  especial  manner  intrusted  by  Providence  with  the  exe- 


308 


AMERICAN  CHARACTERISTICS. 


cution  of  the  same  glorious  task — the  spreading  of  peace,  commerce, 
Christianity,  and  civilisation,  over  the  two  greatest  divisions  of  tho 
globe — it  must  of  necessity  be  the  wish  of  all  the  wise,  aS  well  as  of 
all  the  good  of  either  land,  that  the  two  nations  should  ever  be  found 
acting  in  concert  in  wise  and  well-directed  efforts  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  universal  weal ;  and  that,  in  the  language  of  the  American 
toast,  "  the  Atlantic  which  ever  rolls  between  them  should  ever  prove 
a  pacific  ocean."  If,  therefore,  all  or  any  of  my  attempts  at  a  portraiture 
of  the  scenery  or  society  of  the  United  States  of  America,  should  seem 
to  any  to  be  somewhat  too  eulogistic,  I  can  only  deny  the  impeach- 
ment, refer  to  my  motto,  and  declare,  in  the  words  of  the  immortal 
bard  of  Avon,  that 

"  All  my  reports  go  with  the  modest  truth, 
Not  more,  nor  clipp'd,  but  so." 


CHAPTER  XV. 


"  Where  is  the  true  man's  fatherland  f 
]8  it  where  he  by  chance  ia  born  ? 
Doth  not  the  yearning  spirit  scorn 

In  such  scant  borders  to  be  spanned? 

Oh  yea !  his  fatherland  must  be 

As  the  blue  heavens — wide  and  free." 


I  AM  now  leaving  the  shores  of  America,  and,  save  in  so  far  as 
other  subjects  have  presented  themselves  in  natural  connexion  with 
the  narrative  of  my  journey ings,  I  have  endeavoured  to  confine  my- 
self to  what  I  personally  saw,  heard,  and  encountered,  during  my 
trip  from  Mobile  PoiiAt  to  Boston ;  at  the  same  time,  and  in  as  few 
vrords  as  I  could  convey  my  meaning  in,  endeavouring  to  give  to  my 
reader  the  impressions  formed  at  the  time  by  my  experiences,  modi- 
fied and  corrected  by  after  reflection.  In  doing  this,  I  have  done  all 
that  was  contemplated.  If  I  have  done  it  at  all  well,  I  have  done 
as  much  as  my  ambition  prompted  me  to  attempt.  But,  nevertheless, 
I  feel  that  I  have  not  touched  on  many  topics  which  the  reader  may 
very  naturally  expect  to  find  treated  of  in  a  book  of  travels  in  the 
United  States  of  America.  In  particular,  I  have  not  professed  to 
give  any  opinion  as  to  the  general  tone  of  society  in  America,  either 
as  regards  mind  or  morals.  Neither  have  I  thought  myself  justified 
in  characterising,  or  rather  in  caricaturing,  the  phraseology  and  con- 
versational stylo  of  our  transatlantic  brethren :  and  last,  and  cer- 
tainly not  least  among  my  omissions,  I  have  not  said  anything,  either 
as  to  the  past  history,  the  present  condition,  or  the  future  prospects 
of  the  slave  question  in  the  great  republic.   One  or  two  remarks  on 


Rce,  commerce, 
iivisions  of  the 
le,  as  well  as  of 
i  ever  be  found 
the  accomplish- 
F  the  American 
ijuld  ever  prove 
J  at  a  portraiture 
ca,  should  seem 
ly  the  impeach- 
>f  the  immortal 


AMERICAN  CHARACTERISTICS. 


309 


,ve  in  so  far  as 
connexion  with 
i  to  confine  my- 
ered,  during  my 
,  and  in  as  few 
ig  to  give  to  my 
leriences,  modi- 
I  have  done  all 
rell,  I  have  done 
ut,  nevertheless, 
the  reader  may 
f  travels  in  the 
not  professed  to 
America,  either 
myself  justified 
seology  and  con- 
d  last,  and  cer- 
anything,  either 
future  prospects 
two  remarks  ou 


each  of  these  subjects  will  sufficiently  explain  at  once  the  cause  and 
the  extent  of  these  somewhat  singular  omissions  in  a  European  work 
which  professes  to  treat  of  the  United  States  of  America.  As  to  the 
general  tone  of  male  and  female  society  in  America,  in  relation  to 
mind  and  manners,  I  may  have  formed — nay,  I  did  form — ray  own 
opinions  in  the  different  places  I  visited ;  and  it  is  but  fair  to  say 
that,  from  what  I  saw,  these  opinions  could  not  be  otherwise  than 
highly  favourable.  But  still  I  have  not  professed  to  give  the  reader 
any  information  on  the  subject.  My  stay  was  too  short,  and  my  op- 
portunities for  judging  too  limited,  to  permit  of  my  arriving  at  any 
general  conclusions  on  questions  lying  so  far  below  the  surface  of 
society.  As  regards  the  national  manners  in  America,  all  I  feel 
justified  in  saying  is,  that,  in  so  far  as  I  saw,  the  same  principles  of 
action  prevail  in  private  life,  the  same  circumstances  produce  the 
same  results,  the  same  motives  give  rise  to  the  same  actions  in 
America  as  in  England ;  p.  ud  that  he  or  she  who  would  be  considered 
a  lady  or  a  gentleman  in  America,  would  be  considered  equally  en- 
titled to  the  distinction  in  England,  and  no  more.  In  reference  to 
the  oft-quoted  and  much-caricatured  peculiarities  of  our  transatlantic 
friends,  I  would  say  that  I  heard  nothing  of  the  alledged  general 
use  or  misuse  of  words  not  in  an  Englishman's  vocabulary,  or  of 
English  words  to  mean  things  and  ideas  different  from  the  things  or 
ideas  we  would  understand  them  to  mean  in  Great  Britain.  No  doubt 
there  are,  in  the  conversation,  and  even  in  the  writings  of  some 
Americans,  occasional  uses  of  words  which  sound  unwonted  to  the 
English  ear ;  but,  in  most  c.'»ses,  it  would  be  difficult  to  prove  that 
the  use  so  made  of  particular  words  or  phrases  was  at  variance  with 
their  etymological  meaning  and  strict  significance.  Again,  among 
the  general  travelling  public  of  the  United  States,  one  frequently 
.'lears  such  words  as  "fix,''  "settle,"  "dander,"  "calculate,"  "guess," 
"  reckon,"  &c.,  applied  in  a  manner  that  it  is  of  course  impossible 
to  justify  or  defend.  But  the  conversation,  in  good  society,  is  as 
little  interlarded  with  expletives,  or  with  solecisms  m  language,  as 
is  the  conversation  of  similar  society  in  Great  Britain ;  and  sure  I 
am  that,  limited  as  was  my  stay  in  each  place,  I  could  point  out 
domestic  circles  in  Boston,  and  in  several  of  the  other  cities  of  the 
American  Union,  wher^  the  use  of  the  extraordinary  words  and  sen- 
tences, which  many  of  mj  countrymen  think  to  be  ordinary  character- 
istics of  "  Yankee  phrase,"  would  be  viewed  with  as  much  surprise 
as  they  would  be  in  the  most  courtly  circles  of  queeniy  England.  It 
is  all  very  desirable  to  write  agreeable,  piquant,  and  readable  books, 
but  it  is  too  bad  to  sacrifice  truth  at  the  shrine  of  effect,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  making  them  so. 

Equally  lacunic,  but  for  a  very  different  reason,  has  this  book  been 
on  the  great  subject  of  American  slavery.     I  cannot  indeed  say  that 


310 


AMERICAN  CHARACTERISTICS. 


.# 


slavery  and  the  slave  trade  are  subjects  which  I  had  not  attempted 
to  study — in  truth  they  have  occupied  my  thoughts,  and  been  to  me 
subjects  of  reflection,  before  I  went,  and  also  when  in,  as  well  as  af- 
ter I  returned  from  the  United  States  of  America.  But  I  have  pur- 
posely refrained  from  entering  on  the  large  and  important  topic  of 
American  slavery  at  any  length,  or  from  adding  to  the  much  that 
has  been  written  by  other  writers  upon  it — and  that  not  only  because 
of  its  magnitude  and  importance,  but  because  of  some  other  reasons 
"\'rhich  I  shall  shortly  and  honestly  mention — even  though  I  do  so 
under  the  impression,  if  not  the  fear,  that  they  may  surprise  and  dis- 
appoint some  of  my  friends  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic,  if  not  on 
both  sides  of  the  question. 

It  may  sound  strange  to  say,  that  too  much  has  already  been  writ- 
ten and  said  on  the  subject  of  slavery  in  the  United  States  of  Ame- 
rica. But,  in  a  certain  sense  at  least,  such  appears  to  me  to  be  the 
fact.  At  all  events,  I  am  prepared  to  take  the  responsibility  of  say- 
ing that  the  inconsiderate  zeal  of  abolitionists  in  this  country,  and, 
still  more,  in  the  Northern  States  of  America,  in  writing  and  speak- 
ing without  due  consideration  of  the  peculiar  position  of  their  breth- 
ren who  are  the  owners  of  the  slaves  in  the  Southern  States,  has 
raised  up  a  spirit  of  determination  to  uphold  and  continue  the  system 
of  slavery,  which  will  tend  to  retard  the  result  it  was  designed  to 
promote.  The  spirit  so  excited  may  be  a  fitful  one,  but  no  one  who 
has  visited  the  Southern  States  of  the  American  Union  but  must  ad- 
mit that  is  was  and  is  a  very  determined  one.  The  publicity  and 
violence  of  this  external  warfare  against  slavery  has,  as  it  were, 
roused  the  pride  and  excited  the  energies  of  the  slaveholders,  thrown 
ihera  upon  the  sympathies  of  each  other,  and  prepared  them  to  act 
more  resolutely,  and  more  unitedly,  against  what  they  conceive  to  be 
an  unjust  and  an  unwise  attempt  to  involve  them  and  their  fortunes 
in  sudden  and  irretrievable  ruin.  An  unwonted  energy  pervades 
their  speeches  and  their  actions ;  and  instead  of  permitting  them- 
selves to  consider  the  comparative  advaiitages  and  disadvantages  of 
the  systems  of  free  and  of  slave  labour,  they  start  at  once  with  the 
assumption  that  the  btter  is  the  one  which  it  is  their  interest  and 
their  privilege  to  defend.  Desirous  as  I  am  to  see  slavery  abolished 
all  over  the  globe,  and  anxious  though  I  be  that  such  a  glorious  day 
should  speedily  come,  I  do  regard  the  position  of  the  slave-holders 
in  the  Southern  States  of  the  great  republic  of  America  with  much 
interest  and  some  sympathy.  What  they  are  to  do  with  their  slaves, 
or  for  the  proper  cultivation  of  their  lands,  after  emancipation,  are 
questions  which  have  been  often  put,  and  never  yet  satisfactorily  an- 
swered. It  surely  must  be  somewhat  galling  to  the  men  so  situated 
— around  and  among  whom  slavery  has  rooted  itself  as  a  domestic 
institution,  intertwining  itself  with  every  part  of  their  aflfairs — to 


AMERICAN  CHARACTERISTICS. 


311 


not  attempted 
and  been  to  me 
n,  as  well  as  af- 
3ut  I  have  pur- 
)ortant  topic  of 

the  much  that 
Dot  only  because 
ae  other  reasons 
though  I  do  so 
surprise  and  dis- 
lantic,  if  not  on 

ready  been  writ- 
States  of  Arae- 
to  me  to  be  the 
onsibility  of  say- 
lis  country,  and, 
riting  and  speak- 
m  of  their  breth- 
hern  States,  has 
itinue  the  system 
was  designed  to 

Ibut  no  one  who 
ion  but  must  ad- 
le  publicity  and 
has,  as  it  were, 
eholders,  thrown 
tared  them  to  act 
,ey  conceive  to  be 
Qd  their  fortunes 
energy  pervades 
)crmitting  them- 
disadvantages  of 
at  once  with  the 
leir  interest  and 
slavery  abolished 
ch  a  glorious  day 

the  slave-holders 
nerica  with  much 

with  their  slaves, 
imancipation,  are 

satisfactorily  an- 
men  so  situated 

If  as  a  domestic 

their  affairs — to 


find  those  of  their  own  confederation,  removed  from  all  chance  of 
personal  participation  in  the  dangers  or  the  difficulties  of  a  change, 
or  still  more  those  of  a  distant  clime  but  kindred  tongue,  coolly  pro- 
mulgating sentiments,  and  even  using  more  indefensible  means,  to 
swamp  all  their  hopes,  frustrate  all  their  plans,  and  destroy  their 
properties,  if  not  their  lives.  It  is  difficult  for  parties  situated  as  the 
southern  planters  of  the  North  American  Union  are,  to  give  their 
adversaries  the  credit  for  a  disinterested  and  a  wise  philanthropy,  in 
thus  continuing  to  urge  on  the  work  of  emancipation  without  regard 
to  consequences,  or  adequate  preparation  against  unfortunate  results  j 
and  there  is  room  for,  if  there  be  not  reason  in,  the  taunt  of  Colonel 
Haynes,  when  he  says  of  the  emancipationists  of  the  north,  that, 
while  "  they  do  not  indeed  throw  themselves  into  the  flames,  they 
are  nevertheless  employed  in  lighting  up  the  torches  of  discord 
throughout  the  country." 

But  I  would  not  have  it  understood  that  I  am  to  any  extent,  or 
in  any  degree,  a  defender  of  American  slavery ;  and  least  of  all  would 
I  have  it  supposed  that  I  would  desire  the  day  of  slave  emancipation 
in  America  to  be  indefinitely  postponed,  or  protracted  for  a  single 
hour  beyond  what  is  necessary  for  the  preparation  of  the  community, 
and  of  the  slaves  themselves,  for  the  greatness  of  the  change.  I  am 
aware  that  this  view  of  the  matter,  that  even  this  style  of  reasoning, 
will  be  distasteful  to  not  a  few  whom  I  esteem  and  respect,  and 
whose  motives,  at  least,  I  admire ;  and  I  know  that  I  may  be  told, 
that  this  argument  of  "  wait  a  little  longer"  is  just  the  very  one  that 
has  been  repeated  from  the  commencement  of  Grenville  Sharpe's 
crusade  against  slavery  down  to  the  present  time.  But,  conscious 
that  I  have  no  sinister  view  in  using  it,  and  that  I  am  recording 
opinions  formed  dispassionately  and  on  the  spot,  after  ocular  demon- 
stration as  to  the  existing  state  of  things  in  the  West  Indian  colonics 
of  Britain,  of  France,  of  Denmark,  and  of  Spain,  I  repeat  it  as  my 
conviction  that,  were  there  less  noise  made  on  both  sides  of  the  At- 
lantic as  to  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves  in  the  United  States  of 
America,  it  would  conduce  to  the  present  comfort  both  of  the  slave 
and  of  the  planter.  Such  discreet  forbearance,  while  it  would  not 
retard,  might  probably  accelerate  the  very  event  which  the  noise  and 
clamour  is  intended  to  bring  about.  That  the  period  of  entire  eman- 
cipation is  on  the  wing,  and  rapidly  approaching,  I  cannot  doubt  for 
a  moment.  The  whole  tendency  of  the  social  economy  of  the 
United  States  is  in  that  direction.  The  true  interests  of  the  whole 
country  lies  that  way,  and  the  general  spread  of  light  and  intelligence 
must  necessarily  lead  to  the  same  conclusion.  Nay,  more  :  the  in- 
creased and  increasing  influence  of  the  northern  or  free  states,  renders 
the  permanence  of  the  present  system  a  matter  almost  of  impossi- 
;  lility,  unless,  indeed,  the  Union  itself  be  made  to  give  way  for  the 


312 


AMERICAN  CHARACTERISTICS. 


prevention  of  the  result.  Indeed,  I  question  if  there  be  one  sensible 
thinking  man,  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  American 
Union,  who  would  venture  coolly  to  say  that  the  time  is  never  to 
arrive  when  African  slavery  will  be  finally  and  for  ever  abolished 
throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  Continent  of  America. 
But  there  are  yet  difficulties  and  dangers  in  the  way — difficulties 
and  dangers  to  the  present  slave-holders,  and  difficulties  and  dangers 
as  regards  the  slaves  themselves :  and  again  I  say,  that,  from  what  I 
saw  of  the  determined  state  of  public  feeling  on  this  subject  gene- 
rally prevalent  in  the  United  States,  and  in  particular  in  the  more 
southern  states,  I  feel  that  there  is  great  chance  of  the  time  of  final 
emancipation  being  deferred  through  the  action  and  reaction  of  incon- 
siderate zeal.  To  those  who  take  an  interest  in  the  question  of 
whether  this  matter  of  American  slavery  is  likely  to  be  determined 
by  the  increasing  comparative  influence  and  power  of  the  free  states 
over  the  slave-holding  ones,  the  following  tables,  which  exhibit  the 
relative  political  strength  of  the  two,  and  indicates  very  distinctly  on 
which  side  the  scale  preponderates,  will  not  prove  uninteresting : — 


FREE  STATES. 

States. 

Electors  for 
President. 

Whole  Number 
of  Votes. 

Average  Vote 
for  each 
Elector. 

Maine,    . 

Massachusetts 

Rhode  Island, 

Vermont, 

New  Hampshi 

Connecticut, 

New  York, 

New  Jersey,    . 

Pennsylvania, 

Ohio, 

Indiana, 

Illinois, 

Michigan, 

Wisconsin, 

Iowa, 

re, 

9 
12 
4 
6 
6 
6 
30 

26 
23 
12 
9 
5 
4 
4 

87,000 

134,409 

11,155 

47,907 

50,104 

62,365 

453,431 

77,735 

367,952 

328,489 

152,752 

125,121 

65,106 

39,166 

24,303 

9,666 

11,200 

2,788 

7,984 

8,350 

10,394 

12,595 

11,105 

14,152 

14,282 

12,729 

13,902 

13,003 

9,791 

6,074 

11,994* 

Total 

169 

2,027,006 

*  Average  number  for  each  elector. 


)  he  one  sensible 
)f  the  American 
lime  is  never  to 
p  ever  abolished 
3nt  of  America, 
way — difl&culties 
Ities  and  dangers 
hat,  from  what  I 
his  subject  gene- 
lular  in  the  more 
the  time  of  final 
reaction  of  incon- 
the  question  of 
to  be  determined 
of  the  free  states 
?hich  exhibit  the 
very  distinctly  on 
minteresting : — 


umber    Average  Vote 
for  each 
Elector. 


ites. 


)0 

9,666 

)9 

11,200 

)5 

2,788 

)7 

7,984 

)4 

8,350 

)5 

10,394 

31 

12,595 

35 

11,105 

52 

14,152 

89 

14,282 

52 

12,729 

21 

13,902 

OG 

13,003 

06 

9,791 

03 

6,074 

OUO 

11,994* 

AMERICAN  CHARACTERISTICS. 


313 


SLAVE  STATES. 

States. 

Electors  for 
President 

Whole  number 
of  Votes. 

Average  Vote 

for  each 

I  Elector. 

Delaware, 

3 

12,399 

4.134 

Maryland, 

8 

72,355 

9,042 

Virginia, 

17 

91,719 

5,395 

North  Carolina, 

11 

78,473 

7,133 

Georgia, 

10 

92,346 

9,234 

Florida, 

3 

7,777 

2,592 

Alabama, 

9 

61,845 

C,871 

Mississippi,     . 

6 

52,459 

8,743 

Louisiana, 

6 

33,588 

5,598 

Texas,    . 

4 

12,468 

3,117 

Arkansas. 

3 

16,888 

6,629 

Tennessee, 

13 

123,124 

9,471 

Kentucky, 

12 

116,861 

9,738 

Missouri, 

7 

72,748 

10,392 

Total,* 

112 

315,050 

7,545* 

For  the  right  understanding  of  the  preceding  tabular  statement, 
and  to  enable  the  reader  to  deduce  from  it  the  conclusions  which  it 
warrants,  it  may  be  expedient  to  take  a  rapid  survey  of  the  leading 
characteristics  of  the  political  system  of  the  United  States  of  Ame- 
rica— particularly  as  it  certainly  is  not  of  the  simple  character  gene- 
rally supposed. 

In  particular,  the  mode  of  electing  the  members  constituting  the 
three  bodies  of  the  state  politic  is  essentially  different — each  from 
both  the  others.  The  members  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
the  Senators,  and  the  President,  are  all  elected  on  principles  which 
differ  materially.  The  House  of  Representatives  (which  for  the 
present  consists  of  230  members,  and  is  renewed  by  election  every 
second  year,)  is  chosen  by  ballot,  and  from  the  whole  body  of  the 
people — one  member  or  representative  being  allowed  to  each  state, 
for  every  70,000  inhabitants  which  it  contains  j  so  that  the  more 
populous  the  state  the  larger  its  share  or  voice  in  the  general  govern- 
ment, in  so  far  at  least  as  the  lower  branch  of  the  legislature  is 
concerned.  The  members  of  the  Senate,  or  Upper  House,  (who 
hold  their  seats  for  six  years,)  are,  however,  chosen  in  a  very  differ- 
ent manner,  and  on  a  very  different  principle.  They  are  elected  by 
the  local  legislatures  of  the  individual  states  composing  the  Federal 
Union ;  and  two  senators  being  allowed  as  the  representatives  for 
each  state,  the  smaller  or  less  populous  states  have  here  as  large  a 

*  South  C:\roliiia  electors  are  oliocen  bv  the  Legislature. 

'27 


314 


AMERICAN  CHARACTERISTICS. 


.,i,f 


share  in  the  government  as  their  more  important  companions,  of 
denser  population  or  more  extended  territorial  possessions.  The 
mode  of  appointing  the  President,  again,  is  a  kind  of  Union  between 
the  two  systems  of  election  applicable  respectively  to  the  "  Com- 
mons" and  "Lords"  of  the  United  States*  Legislature.  The  Pre- 
sident of  the  United  States  of  America  (probably  the  most  important 
oflSce  in  the  world  the  elevation  to  which  is  by  election  of  the 
people)  is  chosen  every  four  years ;  and  while,  in  strict  significance 
of  language,  he  may  be  said  to  be  elected  by  the  people,  his  appoint- 
ment does  not  proceed  directly  from  them  in  the  same  manner  as 
does  the  appointment  of  the  members  of  the  House  of  Represen- 
tatives, or  lower  House  of  Congress.  The  President  is  chosen  by 
electoral  colleges.  Of  these  colleges  there  is  one  for  each  state; 
and  the  number  of  members  composing  it  is  regulated  by  the  joint 
number  of  the  representatives  and  senators  which  the  particular 
state  sends  to  Congress.  Thus  Maine,  having  seven  representatives 
and  two  senators,  has  an  electoral  college  composed  of  nine ;  Rhode 
Island,  having  only  two  representatives  and  two  senators,  has  an 
electoral  college  of  four  j  while  the  populous  state  of  New  York, 
having  thirty-four  members  of  th'i  Lower  House  of  Congress  and 
tlie  usual  quota  of  two  for  the  Upper,  has  thirty-six  members  in 
her  college  for  the  choice  of  the  President.  The  effect  of  such  an 
arrangement,  in  throwing  political  power  into  the  hands  of  the  more 
populous  states,  is  too  obvious  to  require  illustration  or  to  justify 
argument. 

From  this  brief  explanatory  statement,  it  will  be  understood  that 
the  first  figures  in  the  preceding  tables  show  the  number  com- 
posing the  electOi'al  college  of  each  state,  the  second  the  number 
of  votes  in  the  state,  and  the  third  the  proportion  subsisting  be- 
tween the  two.  When  it  is  further  mentioned,  that  the  whole  votes 
of  each  College  go  one  way,  and  according  as  the  majority  sway 
it,  (thus,  if  New  York  Electoral  College  contains  twenty  Whigs 
and  sixteen  Democrats,  the  whole  of  her  thirty-six  votes  will  go 
for  the  Whig  candidate,)  the  value  of  the  table,  as  an  indica- 
tion of  how  the  scales  of  power  preponderate,  will  be  sufficiently 
obvious. 

Nor  would  the  view  be  complete  without  noticing  the  very  rapid 
increase,  of  late  years,  in  the  political  importance  of  the  north-wes- 
tern states  of  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Michigan,  Iowa,  and  Wiscon- 
sin, all  of  them  slave-repudiating.  A  few  years  ago,  the  political 
influence  of  these  six  states  was  scarcely  either  known  or  felt. 
Within  eight  years,  they  have  increased  in  population  in  a  ratio  of 
49  per  cent.  Now,  their  votes  for  the  President,  and  their  voice  in 
Congress  generally,  is  much  more  than  sufficient  to  swamp  those  of 
the  old  southern  slave-holding  states  of  Virginia,  North  Carolina, 


AMERICAN  CHARACTERISTICS. 


815 


i  companions,  of 
(ossessions.  The 
»f  Union  between 
ly  to  the  "  Com- 
»ture.  The  Pre- 
e  most  important 
'  election  of  the 
strict  significance 
lople,  his  appoint- 

same  manner  as 
use  of  Represen- 
ent  is  chosen  by 
3  for  each  state; 
iated  by  the  joint 
jh  the  particular 
en  representatives 
I  of  nine ;  Rhode 

senators,  has  an 
ite  of  New  York, 

of  Congress  and 
f-six  members  iu 

effect  of  such  an 
hands  of  the  more 
tion  or  to  justify 

•e  understood  that 
he  number  com- 
cond  the  number 
on  subsisting  be- 
lt the  whole  votes 
he  majority  sway 
us  twenty  Whigs 
six  votes  will  go 
lie,  as  an  indica- 
ill  be  sufficiently 

ng  the  very  rapid 
of  the  novth-wcs- 
owa,  and  Wiscon- 
ago,  the  political 
known  or  felt, 
tion  in  a  ratio  of 
and  their  voice  in 
0  swamp  those  of 
,  North  Carolina, 


Georgia,  and  Louisiana.  In  1840,  the  population  of  the  north- 
western states  was  about  2,900,000 ;  in  1850,  it  is  certainly  not 
less  than  4,500,000.  If  they  progress  for  the  next  ten  years  as 
they  have  done  for  the  last  eight,  their  votes  for  the  Presidency 
will  outweigh  that  of  all  the  slave-holding  states  together,  even 
should  the  future  increase  of  the  latter  be  according  to  the  ratio  of 
the  past. 

Do  not  these  simple  facts  speak  volumes  on  the  question  of  Ame- 
rican slavery  ?  Do  they  not  lead  irresistibly  to  the  conclusion  that, 
provided  only  the  Republican  Confederation  of  North  America  con- 
tinues— if  the  Anr  orican  Union  only  survives  the  fierce  assaults  at 
present  making  against  its  integrity,  and  holds  together  for  ten  years 
longer — the  increase  in  the  political  power  of  the  northern  and 
western  states  will  have  made  them  so  preponderating — so  over- 
whelming— as  to  enable  them  to  carry  triumphantly  any  measure 
they  may  determinedly  resolve  on  ?  And  is  there  any  one,  either  in 
the  United  States  of  America  or  in  Great  Britain,  who  seriously 
doubts  that,  if  these  free  states  of  the  Union  had  such  transcendant 
power,  it  would  not  be  employed,  first  indirectly  to  discountenance 
and  suppress,  and  thereafter,  directly  to  destroy,  slavery  and  slave- 
dealing,  throughout  the  whole  of  the  republic  ?  If  there  be,  let  him 
attentively  peruse  the  language  of  complaint,  on  the  subject  of  nor- 
thern and  western  aggression,  and  of  slave-concealing  and  removing, 
even  now  used,  on  the  part  of  the  southern  representatives,  in  the 
American  Congress. 

Another  plain  corollary  from  the  above  fact  is,  that  anything  that 
goes  to  increase  the  number  of  the  free  states,  must  necessarily  tend 
to  precipitate  the  above  anticipated  denouement  and  result.  It  is 
only  in  this  view  that  the  southern  states  of  the  Union  are  justified 
in  the  strenuous  opposition  they  are  now  making  to  the  introduction 
of  California  into  the  republican  brotherhood,  with  an  anti-slavery 
manifesto  emblazoned  on  her  constitution.  Even  one  state  will 
make  a  serious  difference,  particularly  as  the  south  can  have  but 
little  hope  of  recruiting  her  ranks  by  territorial  additions.  It  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  add  that,  if  ever  the  "  Canadian  annexation- 
ists," aided  by  republican  influence,  should  succeed  in  their  difficult 
attempt,  the  fact  of  their  doing  so  would  very  speedily,  and  for  ever, 
settle  in  the  negative  the  question  of  slavery  and  the  slave  trade,  all 
over  the  great  continent  of  North  America. 

Such  ard  a  few  of  the  reasons  which  have  induced  me  to  exclude, 
in  a  great  measure,  from  the  pages  of  this  work,  the  so  much  agitated 
question  of  American  slavery.  Even  had  I  the  space,  the  statistics, 
and  the  inclination,  for  its  full  discussion,  I  am  satisfied  that  nothing 
which  my  pen,  or  even  more  able  ones,  will  now  write  upon  it  could 
accelerate  the  event  so  much  to  be  desired,  although  it  might  tend  to 


316 


INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT. 


irritation  of  feeling,  or  perchance  retard  the  issue,  or  aid  in  surround- 
ing it  with  disastrous  incidents  with  which  it  might  not  otherwise  be 
attended.  But,  even  while  I  do  so,  I  '•ejoice  in  the  conviction  that 
events  are  progressing  in  their  natural  and  necessary  course,  that 
must  inevitably  lead  to  the  wished-for  result  j  and  that,  provided  only 
the  Union  be  preserved  in  its  integrity,  there  is  every  prospect  that, 
ere  many  years  shall  have  passed  away,  we  may  receive  intelligence 
of  the  passing  of  some  measure  of  "  American  abolition  and  emanci- 
pation." 

But  there  is  another  question  relating  to  England  and  America — 
one  which  affects  and  concerns  the  interests  of  both  nations,  or  at 
least  the  interests  of  a  highly  valuable  and  important  class  of  the 
communities  of  both  countries,  to  which  I  gladly  tuvn  before  closing 
my  remarks — I  mean  the  question  of  an  international  copyright  law 
between  these  two  kindred  nations  of  the  world.  This  is  a  subject 
to  which  I  profess  to  have  paid  some  attention,  ere  I  left  my  native 
country ;  to  which  I  also  directed  much  of  my  attention  while  in  the 
United  States ;  and  to  the  attainment  of  right  views  regarding  which, 
I  have  been  aided  by  information  supplied  by  professional  friends  on 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  j  so  that,  if  my  opinions  be  unsound,  and 
my  arguments  inconclusive,  I  have  certainly  no  proper  apology  to 
plead  for  giving  them  to  the  world. 

In  considering  the  question  of  an  international  law  of  copyright 
between  England  and  the  United  States  of  America,  which  would 
have  the  effect  of  protecting  the  works  of  the  authors  of  the  one 
country  from  being  reprinted  verbatim  et  literatim  in  the  other,  and 
there  sold  without  his  (or  her)  consent  or  participatioa  in  the  profits 
in  any  way,  it  seems  to  me  that  the  natural  way  of  treating  the  sub- 
ject will  be  to  consider — 1.  The  reasons  which  render  such  an  inter- 
national law,  particularly  between  these  two  countries,  desirable  or 
the  reverse;  2.  The  principles  on  which  the  question  of  the  law  of 
copyright  depends;  and  3.  The  effects  that  may  be  expected  to  arise 
to  the  literary  communities  of  the  two  nations  from  the  enactment  of 
such  a  law.  Distinct  views  on  these  three  points  will,  I  apprehend, 
place  the  subject  in  such  a  light  as  will  enable  any  one  to  form  for 
himself  at  all  events  an  intelligent  and  a  dispassionate  opinion  on  this 
important  question. 

From  the  manner  in  which  this  topic  of  an  international  law  of 
copyright  between  England  and  the  United  States  of  America  is 
often  treated,  as  well  as  from  the  spirit  in  which  it  is  occasionally 
d'scussed,  it  would  almost  seem  as  if  America  stood  alone  in  her  re- 
fusal of  reciprocal  legislation  on  this  interesting  subject,  and  that 
such  refusal  amounted  to  a  denial  of  that  protection  which,  in  point 
of  morality,  she  was  bound  to  accord.  Now,  it  is  only  placing  the 
argument  on  its  proper  basis  to  say,  that  this  is  an  erroneous  view  of 


are 


INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT. 


317 


•  aid  in  surround- 
;  not  otherwise  be 
le  conviction  that 
ssary  course,  that 
lat,  provided  only 
jry  prospect  that, 
ceive  intelligence 
ition  and  emanci- 

d  and  America — 
3th  nations,  or  at 
rtant  class  of  the 
iin  before  closing 
nal  copyright  law 
This  is  a  subject 
!  I  left  my  native 
ntion  while  in  the 
i  regarding  which, 
issional  friends  on 
J  be  unsound,  and 
proper  apology  to 

law  of  copyright 
rica,  which  would 
uthors  of  the  one 

in  the  other,  and 
itioa  in  the  profits 
'  treating  the  sub- 
ider  such  an  inter- 
itries,  desirable  or 
tion  of  the  law  of 
5  expected  to  arise 
1  the  enactment  of 
will,  I  apprehend, 
y  one  to  form  for 
ate  opinion  on  this 

ternational  law  of 
les  of  America  is 
,  it  is  occasionally 
)d  alone  in  her  re- 
subject,  and  that 
in  which,  in  point 
is  only  placing  the 
I  erroneous  view  of 


1 


the  matter.    The  United  States  neither  stands  alone  in  her  refusal  to 
grant  to  foreign  authors,  as  regards  works  published  abroad,  a  copy- 
right protection  within  her  own  limits,  nor  is  there  any  propriety  of 
language  in  affirming  that  there  is  a  positive  violation  of  the  rules  of 
morality  in  her  refusal  of  a  reciprocity  of  legislation  on  this  subject. 
It  is  the  importance  of  the  question,  when  considered  in  relation  to 
England  and  America,  that  has  given  rise  to  this  erroneous  idea  in 
connection  with  which  it  is  often  viewed,  and  which  I  would  here  in 
the  outset  desire  to  remove.    Speaking  the  same  language,  sprung  from 
the  same  ancestry,  personally  interested  or  excited  by  the  same  his- 
tories, references,  and  reminiscences,  the  work  adapted  for  the  one 
people  is,  by  the  necessity  of  the  case,  equally  accessible  as  well  as 
intelligible  to  the  other.     There  is  hero  no  translation  required. 
The  book,  as  published  for  the  one  country,  addresses  itself  to  the 
people  of  the  other  ;  and  thus  it  is  that,  while  Byron,  Scott,  Macauley, 
Alison,  Dickens,  &c.,  have  as  ready  a  sale  in  America  as  in  England, 
Longfellow,  Cooper,  Prescott,  Irving  and  Bancroft,  are  as  well  known 
in  Great  Britain,  as  if  they  had  all  been  born  and  educated  beneath 
the  skies  of  England.     In  literature  the  two  nations  are,  in  point  of 
fact,  virtually  the  same ;  and  hence  the  magnitude  of  this  question  of 
copyright,  considered  in  relation  to  them — which  very  magnitude  has 
excited  a  keenness  of  discussion  that  has  led  to  views  and  expressions 
having  no  proper  application  to  the  question.     To  talk  of  "  piracy" 
when  characterising  the  act  of  a  publisher,  in  the  one  country,  in 
printing  and  publishing  without  the  consent  of  the  author,  a  book 
originally  published  in   the   other,  and  to  stigmatise   as  literary 
"  pirates"  the  parties  so  republishing,  is  to  misapply  terms,  and  to  do 
so  in  a  way  which  is  anything  but  calculated  to  aid  the  cause  such 
statements  are  generally  intended  to  serve.     The  fact  is,  that  the 
question  here  at  issue  cannot  be  determined  on  any  abstract  princi- 
ples of  morals,  right  or  wrong.     No  doubt,  and  under  one  view  of 
the  question,  a  strong  case  of  hardship  towards  literary  men  may  be 
made  out ;  and,  being  so,  it  may  be  made  to  form  a  legitimate  argu- 
ment and  an  important  element  in  an  attempt  to  arrive  at  a  right 
determination  on  the  question.     But  the  question  itself  is  surely  one 
of  expediency ;  and  the  sooner  this  is  seen  and  admitted,  the  sooner 
are  we  likely  to  have  it  settled  on  a  satisfactory  reciprocal  basis.    As 
an  independent  nation,  the  United  States  are  quite  entitled  to  refuse 
to  concur  with  England  in  any  measure  of  international  copyright,  if 
they  see  fit  to  do  so,  and  if  they  can  do  so  without  injustice  to  any 
class  of  their  own  subjects,  whose  interests  they  are  bound  to  prolecii. 
Whether  it  is  their  policy  so  to  refuse,  and  whether  American  states- 
men can  so  refuse  without  trampling  on  the  rights  of  members  of 
their  own  confederation,  are  separate  and  important  questions.    But, 
in  so  far  as  Great  Britain  and  her  authors  and  people  are  concerned, 

27^* 


318 


INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT. 


I  cannot  see  that  they  can  charge  America  with  injustice  towards 
them,  whatever  view  she  may  continue  to  take  upon  this  subject. 
Therefore  would  I  lay  it  down  as  the  basis  on  which  the  question  is 
to  be  here  discussed,  that,  as  an  international  one,  it  is  only  to  be 
properly  determined  on  considerations  of  expediency  j  so  that  they 
who  look  here  for  the  hard  terms  so  often  applied  to  our  transatlantic 
brethren,  in  relation  to  this  matter,  will  look  in  vain.  If,  even  view- 
ing the  matter  on  this  basis  of  expediency,  it  can  be  shown  that,  in 
reference  to  their  refusal  to  reciprocate  with  England,  the  United 
States  of  America  are  acting  inexpediently  and  unwisely — inasmuch 
as  they  are  repressing  literature  throughout  their  own'border — doing 
injustice  to  their  own  authors — retarding  the  progress  of  their 
own  literary  shool — and  refusing  encouragement  to  that  very  cla.«s  of 
foreigners  whom  it  were  both  their  dignity  and  their  interest  most  to 
encourage — I  think  I  shall  have  done  more  for  the  real  advancement 
of  the  question  than  if,  contrary  to  my  convictions  of  international 
law,  I  were  to  endeavour  to  show  that  a  refusal  to  reciprocate  on  this 
subject  were  the  perpetration  of  a  violation  of  the  comitas  gentium. 
The  true  doctrine  of  the  jus  gentium^  in  reference  to  the  length  to 
which  one  independent  state  is  bound  to  recognise  the  laws  or  rights 
of  the  subjects  of  another  in  any  respect,  is,  as  it  is  laid  down  in  the 
third  law  of  Huber,*  where  he  says — "  That  the  rulers  of  a  nation 
act  up  to  the  principles  of  international  law  and  comity  where  they 
admit  that  the  laws  of  every  people,  exercised  within  their  own  limits, 
should  have  everywhere  the  like  force,  in  so  far  as  tJicy  do  not  preju- 
dice the  power  or  rights  of  other  states  or  their  own  citizens." 

If  anything  were  wanting  to  my  mind  to  satisfy  me  that  it  is  an 
error  to  view  this  question  as  one  involving,  on  the  part  of  America, 
(in  her  refusal  of  a  system  of  reciprocity,)  an  absolute  negation  of  a 
claim  for  justice  towards  foreign  authors,  it  would  be  the  fact  that 
the  most  eminent  men  in  England  have  taken  opposing  views,  even 
when  the  subject  has  been  co-ic>dered  with  reference  to  this  country 
alone.  Although  it  may  now  be  considered  as  a  question  settled  in 
the  negative,  it  was  a  question  long  and  ably,  as  well  as  anxiously, 
discussed  in  the  courts  of  Great  Britain,  whether  there  existed  a 
copyright  at  common  law,  and  irrespective  of  statute.  Indeed,  the 
decisions  on  the  point  were  at  first  conflicting.  In  the  case  of  Mil- 
ler against  Taylor,  of  which  a  very  copious  report  is  given  in  Sir 
John  Barrow's  "  Reports  of  Cases  decided  in  the  King's  Bench," 
(vol.  iv.  p.  2303,)  the  question  was  originally  decided  in  favour  of 
the  existence  of  a  common-law  right.  In  that  case  the  question  was 
very  elaborately  discussed,  it  being  in  general  maintained  for  the 
plaintiff  that  there  is  a  real  property  remaining  to  authors  after  pub- 


*  Huber,  lib.  1,  t.  3,  De  Conflictu  Legum,  sec.  2. 


INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT. 


819 


injustice  towards 
pon  this  subject, 
ih  the  question  is 
e,  it  is  only  to  be 
cy ;  so  that  they 
)  our  transatlantic 
a.     If,  even  view- 
bo  shown  that,  in 
Tland,  the  United 
iviscly — inasmuch    ^ 
wrnborder — doing    j 
)rogres8  of   their 
I  that  very  claps  of 
ir  interest  most  to 
real  advancement 
IS  of  international 
reciprocate  on  this 
comitas  gentium. 
3  to  the  length  to 
the  laws  or  rights 
s  laid  down  in  the 
rulers  of  a  nation 
jomity  where  they 
D  their  own  limits, 
they  do  not  preju- 
I  citizens." 
me  that  it  is  an 
!  part  of  America, 
ute  negation  of  a 
be  the  fact  that 
)osing  views,  even 
ce  to  this  country 
uestion  settled  in 
veil  as  anxiously, 

there  existed  a 
ute.  Indeed,  the 
the  case  of  Mil- 
J  is  given  in  Sir 
3  King's  Bench," 
ided  iu  favour  of 

the  question  was 
laintained  for  the 
authors  after  pub- 

iC.  2. 


lication  of  their  works;  and  that  thoy  only,  or  those  who  claim 
under  them,  have  a  right  to  multiply  the  copies  of  such  their  lite- 
rary property  at  their  pleasure  for  sale ;  that  this  is  a  common-law 
right  which  has  always  existed,  and  does  still  exist,  independent  of, 
and  not  taken  uway  by,  the  statute  of  8  Anne,  Cap.  19.  While  for 
the  defendant  the  general  answer  was,  "  That  no  such  right  of  pro- 
perty remained  in  the  author  after  the  publication  of  his  work ; 
that  the  pretension  of  a  right  at  common  law  was  a  mere  fancy  and 
imagination,  for  which  there  was  no  ground  or  foundation."  In 
that  case  the  judgment  was  for  the  existence  of  a  right  at  common 
law — a  right  founded  on  the  principles  of  equity.  But  in  the  sub- 
sequent case  of  Donaldson  against  Becket,  decided  22d  Feb.  1774, 
in  which  the  question  came  up  before  the  House  of  Lords,  upon  an 
appeal  from  a  decree  of  the  Court,  of  Chancery,  (founded  on  the 
judgment  in  Miller's  case,)  and  after  the  opinions  of  the  whole 
judges  upon  the  point  had  been  taken,  it  was  finally  settled  that,  if 
such  common-law  right  ever  existed,  it  had  been  taken  away  by  the 
statute  of  Queen  Anne;  and  that  an  author's  only  remedy  was  in 
virtue,  and  on  the  condition,  of  that  statute.  True,  the  majority 
were  also  of  opinion  that  a  right  at  common  law  had  existed  ante- 
rior to  the  passing  of  the  act ;  but  very  learned  opinions  were  like- 
wise expressed  on  the  other  side,  and  very  unanswerable  arguments 
were  advanced  in  support  of  these  opinions. 

Now,  if  it  has  thus  been  held,  '^ven  in  this  country,  and  consider- 
ing the  question  solely  with  reference  to  British  subjects  and  to 
British  interests,  that  there  is  now  no  remedy  for  the  author  whose 
work  has  been  pirated  save  under  the  statute  of  Queen  Anne ;  that, 
on  the  principles  of  common  law,  he  cannot  now  maintain  an  action 
either  of  injunction  or  interdict,  or  for  damages;  and  that  it  is  much 
more  than  questionable  whether  such  common- law  right  ever  had 
existence — how  can  it  with  justice  be  said  that  the  American  pub- 
lisher, reprinting  iu  America  the  published  work  of  a  British  author, 
printed  in  this  country,  is,  in  so  doing,  guilty  of  a  violation  of  tho 
principles  of  international  law  ?  Without  carrying  the  argument 
any  farther  than  this,  it  surely  follows  that,  if  there  be  good  grounds 
for  doubting  the  existence  of  any  right  of  property  competent  to  an 
author  over  his  work,  after  he  has  given  it  to  the  world  by  publica- 
tion, on  the  principle  of  the  common  law  of  England  or  of  Scotland, 
(and  in  a  late  case,  decided  in  the  Sheriff  Court  of  Renfrewshire  in 
Scotland,  it  was  held  that,  in  Scotland  as  in  England,  copyright,  or 
the  right  of  property  in  literary  compositions,  rests  not  on  common 
law,  but  on  statute  alone,)  then  there  can  be  no  ground  whatever 
for  maintaining  that  the  term  piracy,  with  any  strictness  of  pro- 
priety, can  apply  to  the  conduct  of  the  foreign  republishers  of  a 
work  brought  out  in  England.     At  all  events,  the  circumstance  that 


320 


INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT. 


the  facts  of  this  matter  are  as  I  have  shortly  detailed  them,  should 
modify  the  severity  of  the  strictures  with  which  the  subject  of 
American  reprints  have  been  occasionally  discussed.  I  am  not  ig- 
norant that,  while  the  law  in  this  country  denies  and  repudiates  the 
principle  of  copyright  save  under  the  statute,  there  are  many  inge- 
nious arguments  that  might  be  adduced  to  show  that  the  law  ought 
not  to  be  as  it  is.  Neither  am  I  unacquainted  with  many  of  the 
able  pamphlets  written  to  vindicate  the  existence  of  a  principle  of 
copyright  apart  from  the  statute.  In  particular  I  have  perused  the 
elegant  and  eloquent  work  on  the  subject,  entitled  "  Present  State 
of  the  Copyright  Question,"  from  the  pen  of  Mr.  Sergeant  Talfourd, 
with  whose  observations  it  is  scarcely  possible  not  to  sympathise. 
But  it  is  not  my  province  or  intention  to  argue  the  question :  what 
I  desired  was,  to  draw  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  law  in  this 
country  is  as  I  have  above  described  it ;  and  to  point  attention  to  it 
as  a  reason  why,  in  considering  the  question  of  international  copy- 
right with  America,  I  shall  not  follow  the  course  of  characterising  a 
refusal  of  reciprocal  legislation  or  the  subject  as  a  denial  of  a  claim 
for  justice,  or  a  violation  of  those  principles  of  equity  which  are  as 
binding  upon  nations  as  they  are  upon  men.  Let  it  be  granted  that, 
if  America  chooses,  she  has  a  right  to  continue  her  present  course  of 
supplying  the  literary  appetite  of  her  increasing  population  mainly 
by  the  reprinting  of  English  works,  without  the  consent  of  the 
authors  who  have  given  them  to  the  world.  But  her  right  to  do  so, 
and  the  wisdom  of  her  policy  in  so  doing,  are  two  different  things  : 
and  I  apprehend  there  will  be  but  few  who  will  be  disposed  to  de- 
fend the  wisdom  of  that  policy,  after  they  have  attentively  and  dis- 
passionately considered  the  present  effects  produced  by  the  want  of 
an  international  copyright,  and  contrasted  these  with  the  conse- 
quences which  must  necessarily  ensue  from  the  introduction  of  such 
a  measure. 

We  have  seen  that,  as  regards  the  question  of  internal  copyright 
in  Great  Britain,  the  first  legislative  act  passed  for  the  regulation 
of  the  subject  was  the  excellent  statute  of  Queen  Anne,  chap.  19, 
(enacted  in  1710,)  which  gave  to  the  author  or  proprietor  of  a 
then  previously  printed  work  a  copyright  for  twenty  years,  and  to 
the  author  of  a  jook  not  then  printed  a  copyright  for  fourteen 
years  from  the  date  of  publication :  while,  if  the  author  was  still 
alive  at  the  expiry  of  that  period,  his  copyright  revived  and  ex- 
tended for  other  fourteen  years.  By  another  act  (54  Geo.  III. 
cap.  156,  passed  in  1814)  the  provisions  of  the  statute  of  Queen 
Anne,  and  of  other  relative  acts,  were  reconsidered,  and  the  terms 
for  unpublished  works  was  extended  to  twenty-eight  years,  and  if 
the  author  survived  that  term,  till  his  death,  and  other  provisions 
made.     These  statutes;  with  certain  acts  relative  to  the  drama,  and 


INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT. 


321 


cl  them,  should 
the  subject  of 

I  am  not  ig- 

repudiates  the 
are  many  inge- 

the  law  ought 
.  many  of  the 

a  principle  of 
ve  perused  the 

Present  State 
^eant  Talfourd, 
to  sympathise, 
^luestion:  what 
be  law  in  this 

attention  to  it 
rnational  copy- 
jharacteririing  a 
mial  of  a  claim 
S^  which  are  as 
)c  granted  that, 
resent  course  of 
)ulation  mainly 
consent  of  the 
•  right  to  do  so, 
iflferent  things : 
disposed  to  de- 
atively  and  dis- 
by  the  want  of 
Nith.  the  conse- 
duction  of  such 

ernal  copyright 

the  regulation 

^inne,  chap.  19, 

proprietor  of  a 

;y  years,  and  to 

bt  for  fourteen 

author  was  still 

evived  and  ex- 

(54  Geo.  III. 

[itutc  of  Queen 

,  and  the  terras 

ht  years,  and  if 

)ther  provisions 

the  drama,  and 


to  public  lectures  in  colleges  and  universities,  comprised  what  may 
be  called  the  internal  or  municipal  statutory  law  of  England  on  the 
subject  of  the  right  of  property  in  literary  compositions  after  pub- 
lication, up  to  the  year  1842,  when  the  statute  5  and  6  Vic.  cap. 
45,  was  passed  for  the  "  amendment  of  the  law  of  copyright.''  By 
that  enactment,  which  recites  and  repeals  the  two  acts  of  8  Anne, 
cap.  19,  and  54  Geo.  Ill-,  cap  156,  above  referred  to,  the  term  of 
continuance  of  the  copyright  was  somewhat  changed.  The  provi- 
sions in  this  respect  now  are,  that  the  copyright  shall  exist  for  the 
author's  lifetime,  and  for  seven  years  aftyr  his  death ;  while  if 
these  two  terms — the  lifetime  and  the  subsequent  seven  years — 
expired  before  the  lapse  of  forty-two  years  from  the  first  publica- 
tion of  the  work,  then  the  protective  period  extends  to  the  whole 
period  of  forty-two  years.  Other  provisions  are  made  with  regard 
to  the  publication  of  posthumous  works,  and  also  relative  to  the 
conditions  upon  which  the  right  is  to  be  secured,  for  which  refer- 
ence must  be  made  to  the  act  itself.  Upon  this  statute  now  rests 
the  law  of  copyright  in  reference  to  the  writings  of  British  authors 
first  published  within  the  limits  of  Britain's  own  extensive  domi- 
nions. 

By  the  statute  1  and  2  Vic.  cap.  59,  an  attempt  was  made  by 
this  country  to  establish  an  international  copyright,  by  providing 
that  her  Majesty  may,  by  an  order  in  council,  direct  that  foreign 
authors,  or  their  "  assigns,"  shall  have  a  copyright  in  their  works 
within  her  Majesty's  dominions.  That  statute  has  since  been  su- 
perceded and  amended  by  the  late  legislative  enactment  of  7  and  8 
Vic.  cap.  12.  The  provisions  of  this  act  it  is  unnecessary  to  no- 
tice more  in  detail  here,  (particularly  as  they  must  be  alluded  to 
below,)  farther  than  to  say  that  they  carry  still  farther  out  the 
general  provision  of  the  1  and  2  Vic.  cap.  59,  which  the  latter  act 
repeals. 

Thus  far  of  the  laws  on  the  statute-book  of  Great  Britain  on 
this  subject  of  copyright,  municipal  and  international ;  and  I  shall 
have  exhaustod  the  short  mention  of  these  required  for  the  argu- 
ment in  hand,  when  I  state  that  the  law  which  prevents  the  im- 
portation into  British  foreign  possessions  of  the  reprints  of  books 
first  "  composed,  written,  or  printed  in  the  United  Kingdom,"  is 
to  be  found  in  a  place  where  it  might  not  readily  occur  to  look  for 
it — viz.,  in  the  statute  8  and  0  Vic.  cap.  93,  intituled  "  An  Act 
to  regulate  the  Trade  of  British  Possessions  abroad,"  where  it  forms 
a  solitary  clause  among  a  multitude  of  others  relating  to  everything 
but  authorship,  books,  or  matters  of  a  literary  nature. 

It  were  out  of  place  to  enter  here  into  any  elaborate  exposition 
of  the  judicial  decisions  by  which  the  true  meaning  of  these  legis- 
lative enactments  thus  referred  to  have  been  illustrated  and  de- 


322 


INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT. 


termined.  But  as  the  question  of  the  existence  of  a  copyright  in 
foreign  publications,  irrespective  of  the  international  act,  has  of 
late  years  been  the  subject  of  much  and  learned  argum^^nt  in  this 
country,  while  the  decisions  which  that  discussion  have  evoked  are 
not  at  first  sight  very  consistent  with  each  other,  perspicuity  seems 
to  require  a  brief  notice  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  judgment  , 
and  of  some  of  the  principles  which  they  may  be  held  to  have 
settled.  The  older  cases  of  Miller  v.  Taylor,  and  Donaldson  v. 
Beckett,  have  been  already  referred  to.  These  may  be  regarded 
as  settling  the  principles  of  municipal  copyright  in  this  country, 
and  as  deciding  that  it  now  entirely  rested  on  statutory  law.  As 
regards  copyright  in  foreign  compositions,  in  Chappell  v.  Purdey, 
(^English  Juristy  vol.  ix.,  p.  495,)  it  was  decided  in  the  Court  of 
Exchequer  that  where  a  work  was  first  publisned  abroad,  and  bj  a 
foreign  author,  such  author  could  not  afterwards  acquire  any  copy- 
right in  this  country  under  the  statute  8  Anne,  cap.  '19,  and  54 
Geo.  III.  cap.  156.  But  by  a  subsequent  decision  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas,  in  Cocks  v.  Purdey,  (12  Jurist,  677,)  it  was  ruled 
that  a  foreigner  the  native  of  a  country  in  amity  with  Great  Bri- 
tain, the  author  of  a  work  composed  abroad,  which  was  published 
simultaneously  in  England  and  on  the  Continent,  had  a  copyright 
in  the  work.  This  judgment  was  afterwards  followed  by  the  Court 
of  Queen's  Bench  in  the  case  of  Boosay  v.  Davidson,  (13  Jur.  678,) 
wherein  it  was  found,  on  this  point,  that  there  is  copyright  in  this 
country  for  the  works  of  a  foreigner  published  in  this  country 
without  having  been  before  published  abroad. 

On  the  faith  of  the  train  of  decisions  of  which  those  above  men- 
tioned are  the  leading  and  the  most  important  ones,  it  was  at  one 
time  held  that,  even  under  what  may  be  called  the  municipal 
copyright  acts  of  Great  Britain,  a  foreigner,  the  native  of  a  coun- 
try enjoying  peaceful  relations  with  England,  (in  the  language  of 
the  law  books,  an  "  alien  friend,")  might,  by  himself  or  his  Eng- 
lish assignee,  secure  the  benefit  of  a  copyright  in  this  country, 
provided  always  he  did  not  first  publish  abroad.  In  this  way  a 
very  liberal  interpretation  was  given  to  the  copyright  law  of  Eng- 
land. The  obvious  efiect  was,  that  if  the  foreigner  was  a  native 
of  a  country  which  recognised  a  copyright  within  its  o\\n  dominions, 
he  might  by  simultaneous  publication',  (i.  e.  publication  in  both 
countries,  not  at  the  same  hour,  but  in  any  part  of  the  same  day; 
for  it  was  found  that  the  legal  rule  here  is  de  minimis  non  curat 
lex,)  secure  a  copyright  in  both  countries.  But  on  an  attentive 
perusal  of  the  whole  decisions,  ending  with  the  case  of  Boosay  v. 
Davidson,  it  will  appear  that  the  question  of  the  applicability  of 
the  statutes  of  8  Anne,  cap  19,  and  54  Geo.  III.  cap.  156,  to  the 
writings  of  foreigners,  was  not  fully  brought  up  or  discussed.    At 


i 


INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT. 


323 


a  copyright  in 
aal  act,  has  of 
rgumv^nt  in  this 
lave  evoked  are 
jrspicuity  seems 
the  judgmem  , 
B  held  to  have 
d  Donaldson  v. 
lay  be  regarded    1 
in  this  country,    j 
tutory  law.    As 
ppell  V.  Purdey, 
in  the  Court  of 
ibroad,  and  bj  a 
squire  any  copy- 
cap.  19,  and  54 
1  of  the  Court  of 
r7,)  it  was  ruled 

with  Great  Bri- 
•h  was  published 
had  a  copyright 
yed  by  the  Court 
a,  (13  Jur.  678,) 
copyright  in  this 

in  this  country 

hose  above  mon- 
ies, it  was  at  one 
i  the  municipal 
lative  of  a  coun- 

the  language  of 
iself  or  his  Eng- 
in  this  country, 
In  this  way  a 
ight  law  of  Eng- 
;ner  was  a  native 
,s  own  dominions, 
jlication  in  both 
of  the  same  day; 
liaimis  non  curat 
t  on  an  attentive 
jase  of  Boosay  v. 
applicability  of 

cap.  156,  to  the 
■or  discussed.    At 


all  events,  in  the  subsequent  and  very  recent  case  of  Boosay  v. 
Purdey,  (13  Jur.  p.  918,)  the  Court  of  Exchequer,  upon  a  careful 
review  of  the  whole  authorities,  and  a  very  elaborate  argument 
upon  all  the  statutory  provisions,  determined  and  decided  that  "  a 
foreign  author  or  his  assigns  "  are  not  parties  within  the  meaning, 
and  cannot  have  the  benefit  of  the  statutes  8  Anne,  cap.  19,  and 
54  Geo.  III.  cap.  156,  as  those  acts  were  intended  for  the  encour- 
agement of  British  talent  and  industry,  by  giving  to  authors  who 
are  British  subjects,  either  by  birth  or  residence,  or  their  assigns, 
a  monopoly  in  their  literary  works,  dating  from  the  period  of  their 
first  publication  here. 

It  is  by  the  writer  believed  to  be  the  opinion  of  most  lawyers  in 
this  country,  who  have  devoted  any  measure  of  attention  to  this 
important  subject,  that  the  decision  last  above-mentioned  is  un- 
doubtedly a  sound  one,  as  embodying  a  correct  view  of  the  statutes 
which  it  interprets.  Further,  in  the  present  state  of  the  copy- 
right law  of  other  countries,  and  of  America  in  particular,  it  is 
satisfactory  that  our  law  stands  as  has  thus  been  held.  If  the 
judgment  destroys  a  preconception  that  the  copyright  law  of  Eng- 
land is  based  upon  principles  of  extreme  liberality  towards  for- 
eigners or  their  assignees,  it  at  all  events  places  the  matter  on  a 
much  clearer,  more  consistent,  and  more  definite  footing,  than  it 
seemec'.  to  rest  on  under  the  operation  of  the  decisions  by  which 
Boosay's  case  had  been  preceded. 

It  may  thus  be  regarded  as  settled  law  that,  save  under  the  ex- 
isting international  copyright  act,  7  and  8  Victoria,  cap.  12,  (and 
the  statutes  made  mention  of  in  it,)  there  can  be  no  copyright  in 
this  country  for  the  untranslated  writings  of  a  foreign  author. 
But  that  valuable  act  is  sufficiently  liberal ;  and,  in  pointing  at  a 
spirit  of  national  reciprocity  on  this  important  subject,  it  does  all 
that  can  be  done,  consistently  with  a  due  attention  on  the  part  of 
Great  Britain  to  the  rights  and  interests  of  the  numerous  and 
valuable  class  of  men  who  compose  her  own  literary  school.  By 
that  statute,  the  Queen  is  empowered  by  an  order  in  council  to 
authorize  a  copyright  in  the  works  of  foreigners ;  and,  after  due 
and  full  provision  as  to  the  conditions  of  the  order  and  of  the 
grant,  an  enactment  is  made  in  section  19,  whica  points  out  both 
the  object  and  the  extent  of  the  whole  statute.  It  is  there  pro- 
vided that  "  neither  the  author  of  any  book,  nor  the  author  or 
composer  of  any  dramatic  piece  or  musical  composition,  nor  the 
inventor,  designee,  or  engraver  of  any  print,  nor  the  maker  of  any 
article  of  sculpture  or  other  work  of  art  as  aforesaid,  which,  after 
the  passing  of  this  uct,  may  be  first  published  out  of  her  Majesty's 
dominions,  shall  have  any  cnpyririht  therein,  or  any  exclusive  right 


324 


INTERNATIONAL    COPYRIGHT. 


to  the  representation  or  performance  thereof,  otherwise  than  such 
(if  any)  as  he  may  become  entitled  to  under  this  act." 

After  this  rapid  sketch  on  the  present  state  of  the  law  of  copy- 
right in  literary  productions  in  Great  Britain,  let  us  now,  as  shortly, 
notice  the  present  position  of  that  law  among  our  transatlantic 
friends  in  the  American  republic. 

In  the  United  States  of  America,  there  is  no  international  copy- 
right law  whatever ;  and  the  internal  or  municipal  copyright  is 
regulated  by  an  act  of  Congress  of  3d  February  1831,  in  which 
the  provisions,  with  regard  to  works  first  published  in  America, 
are  very  much  the  same  with  the  earlier  law  of  this  country  as 
embraced  in  the  statute  of  Queen  Anne  extended  by  the  subse- 
quent act  of  54  George  III.  cap.  156,  with  regard  to  books  brought 
out  in  Great  Britain.  The  right  is  granted  to  citizens  or  resi- 
dents, and  is  given  for  twenty-eight  years,  with  an  extension  of 
fourteen  years  if  either  the  author  or  his  wife  or  children  survive 
the  term  of  the  original  grant.  By  section  8  of  this  act,  it  is 
expressly  declared  "that  nothing  in  this  act  shall  be  construed 
to  extend  to  prohibit  the  importation  or  vending,  printing  or  pub- 
lishing, of  any  map,  chart,  book,  musical  composition,  print  or  en- 
graving, written,  composed,  or  made  by  any  person  not  being  a 
citizen  of  the  United  States,  nor  (or)  resident  within  the  jurisdic- 
tion thereof;"  and  the  next  section  limits  the  protection  of  unpub- 
lished manuscripts  in  the  same  manner. 

Contrasting  the  two  systems,  it  will  be  at  once  seen  that  the 
main  distinction  between  them  consists  in  these  particulars  :  that, 
while  in  Great  Britain  it  is  essential  to  copyright  that  there  has 
been  no  prior  publication  elsewhere,  in  the  United  States  of  Ame- 
rica that  requisite  is  not  included.  But  second,  while  in  this 
country  there  is  provision  for  giving  to  a  foreign  author — the  na- 
tive or  inhabitant  of  a  country  which  recognises  a  reciprocity  of 
legislation  with  Great  Britain  on  this  subject — a  copyright  in  his 
work  in  this  country,  there  is  no  such  provision  in  United  States 
law.  Had  the  latter  country  adopted  the  cosmopolitan  policy  of 
England,  (which  is  leading  the  way  in  this  as  in  everything  else,) 
the  copyright  of  new  works  might  ue  secured  to  authors  in  both 
countries ;  but  the  stipulation  of  "  citii,enship,  or  residence  within 
the  dominions  of  the  United  States  at  the  time  of  publication,"  is 
of  course  a  fatal  barrier  to  any  such  attempt.  As  a  British  sub- 
ject, I  am  thankful  when  I  say  that  the  barrier  is  not  of  English, 
but  of  American  formation. 

Thus,  at  present,  stands  the  law  of  these  two  countries  in  rela- 
tion to  this  subject.  There  is  nothing  to  prevent  the  works  of 
British  authors,  printed  in  f]ngland,  being  reprinted  and  sold  iu 


INTERNATIONAL  .COPYRIGHT. 


325 


wise  than  such 
ct." 

he  law  of  copy- 
now,  as  shortly, 
ir  transatlantic 

srnational  copy- 
►al  copyright  is 
1831,  in  which 
led  in  America, 
this  country  as 
i  by  the  subse- 
3  books  brought 
citizens  or  resi- 
an  extension  of 
3hildren  survive 
'  this  act,  it  is 
lU  be  construed 
printing  or  pub- 
ion,  print  or  en- 
5on  not  being  a 
bin  the  jurisdic- 
;ection  of  unpub- 

je  seen  that  the 

articulars :  that, 

that  there  has 

I  States  of  Ame- 

d,  while  in  this 

author — the  na- 

a  reciprocity  of 

copyright  in  his 

in  United  States 

politan  policy  of 

3verything  else,) 

authors  in  both 

residence  within 

publication,"  is 

ls  a  British  sub- 

I  not  of  English, 

countries  in  rela- 
nt  the  works  of 
died  and  sold  iu 


America  without  their  consent ;  neither  is  there  anything  to  pre- 
vent the  works  of  American  authors,  published  in  America,  from 
being  reprinted  and  sold  in  England,  without  the  consent  of  such 
American  author  being  obtained  or  even  asked.  An  author  pub- 
lishing in  either  country  has  no  way  of  securing  to  himself  any 
benefit  from  the  sale  of  his  work  in  the  other,  save  by  some  such 
ruse  as  that  of  bringing  out,  in  addition  to  his  original  work,  an 
edition  with  such  notes  as  may,  through  the  medium  of  a  third 
party,  be  the  subject  of  copyright  in  the  other  country ;  or,  by 
the  mode  often  adopted  in  the  United  States  by  the  English  mag- 
azines, of  introducing  into  some  of  the  numbers  during  the  year 
articles  from  the  pens  of  American  writers,  which  articles,  being 
previously  made  the  subject  of  copyright  in  America,  cannot  be 
reprinted  by  any  one  there,  save  with  the  proprietor's  consent.* 

But  while  the  laws  of  the  two  countries  thus  operate  in  the  same 
way  against  the  interests  of  the  literary  men  of  both,  there  is  this 
substantial  distinction  between  the  two — one  in  wh'ch  the  liberality 
of  the  mother  country  contrasts  favourably  with  the  more  exclusive 
policy  of  her  gigantic  offshoot — Great  Britian  offers  a  reciprocity 
of  privilege,  and  it  is  America  that  refuses  it.  England  says,  give 
my  literary  children  an  equal  privilege  in  your  territories,  and  I 
have  already  passed  an  act  under  which  I  will  give  your  authors 
copyright  privileges  throughout  my  dominions.  But  the  United 
States  refufi*  to  listen  to  the  proposal,  and  by  her  provision  of 
"  citizenship  ot  residence,"  limits  her  copyright  to  the  authors  be- 
longing to,  or  living  on,  her  own  soil. 

Now,  among  the  effects  that  would  be  produced  by  an  interna- 
tional law  of  copyright  between  the  two  countries — or,  to  speak 
more  accurately,  among  the  beneficial  results  that  would  arise  were 
America  agreeing  to  reciprocate  the  liberal  policy  of  Great  Britain 
on  this  subject,  the  following  are  palpable  and  beyond  question  : — 
Such  reciprocity  would  secure  to  the  authors  of  both  countries 
a  much  larger  field  for  profit,  as  well  as  fame ;  and,  while  the  wri- 
ters of  both  would  be  thereby  benefited,  the  larger  share  of  the 
advantage  would  be  to  the  literary  men  of  America.  To  them 
there  would  be  immediately  opened  up  profitable  access  to  a  popu- 
lation of  some  forty  millions  of  people,  exclusive  of  the  whole 
vast  colonial  empire  of  G  rcat  Britain ;  while  the  similar  addition 
made  to  the  field  for  the  Englishman's  operations  would  be  some- 

*  I  was  told,  in  Boston,  that  tlio  proprietors  o( Blackwood  had  the  merit  of  striking 
out  this  most  legitimate  mode  of  countermining  the  attempts  made  to  deprive  them 
of  the  profits  arising  from  the  very  extensive  sale  of  their  popular  periodical  in  the 
United  States  of  America.  By  sectiring  the  services  of  literary  men  of  the  Americun 
Confederation,  and  resident  therein,  they  have  not  only  added  to  tlieir  stafl",  but 
seciu'ed  themselves  against  reprints  in  the  United  States— save  with  their  o\ni 
consent. 

'28 


826 


INTERNATIONAL    COPYRIGHT. 


wbere  about  one  moiety  of  the  number  above  named.  Than  the 
literary  men  of  a  nation,  there  is  surely  no  class  of  persons  -who 
more  deserve  that  attention  should  be  paid  to  their  interests  in  the 
general  legislation.  They  are  no  doubt  a  comparatively  small 
body,  and  therefore  it  is  that  their  voice  is  so  little  heard,  even  in 
matters  in  which  they  are  especially  concerned.  But  let  not  our 
American  friends  forget  that  it  was  the  rem  \rk  of  one  of  their  own 
earlier  Governors-  -an  observation  of  the  first  Governor  of  Massa- 
chusetts (Winthrop) — that  "the  best  part  of  a  community  is 
always  the  least,  and  of  this  least  part  the  wiser  is  always  the  less" 
— a  remark  which  deserves  special  remembrance,  not  only  in 
America,  but  everywhere  else. 

While,  however,  it  would  conserve  and  promote  the  literary  in- 
terests of  both  countries  that  America  reciprocated  the  international 
policy  of  Great  Britain  on  this  subject,  it  is  most  especially  for  the 
interest  and  consequent  advancement  of  her  own  literary  school 
that  she  should  do  so.  Compared  with  that  of  England,  the 
literary  school  of  the  United  States  is  yet  in  its  infancy.  No  doubt 
in  this,  as  in  other  respects,  the  republic  is  making  rapid  pro- 
gress }  and  when  adorned  with  such  names  as  Sigourney,  Irving, 
Bancroft,  Prescott,  Longfellow,  Bryant,  Story,  Kent,  Greenleaf, 
and  Hoffman,  it  were  absurd  to  question  the  right  of  America  to 
take  a  high  position  in  the  world  of  letters.  But  still,  as  con- 
trasted wiih  EngL;nd,  most  of  her  national  literary  laurels  have 
yet  to  be  gathered ;  and  what  can  more  tend  to  retard  her  in  this 
career  than  placing  her  literary  men  at  a  disadvantage  as  regards 
the  remunerative  character  of  their  productions  ?  Exposed  as  he 
is  to  the  competition  of  another  publisher,  who  reprints  an  English 
work  of  a  kindred  nature,  without  paying  its  author  a  single  six- 
pence out  of  the  profits  derived  from  its  sale,  how  can  the  publisher 
who  purchases  the  manuscript  of  an  American  author  afford  to 
give  a  fair  or  reasonable  price  for  the  object  of  his  acquisition  ? 
That  authors  of  distinction  do  not,  in  general,  write  from  motives 
of  gain  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  question.  If  it  had,  it  might 
be  worth  while  to  stop,  to  point  out  the  host  of  facts  that  are  on 
record  which  lead  to  a  somewhat  different  conclusion ;  but  this,  at 
all  events,  must  be  conceded — that  the  supply  of  literary  produc- 
tions, and  the  number  of  men  who  will  devote  themselves  to 
literary  pursuits  in  any  country,  will  ever  be  more  or  less  influenced 
by  the  value  placed  on  them,  as  evinced  by  the  remuneration  given 
them  for  their  labours.  Most  of  the  nien  of  distinguished  literary 
name  in  America  follow  other  professions  or  callings,  or  are  en- 
gaged in  diplomatic  life.  The  classic  and  elegant  Longfellow  is 
Professor  of  Modern  Literature  in  Harvard  College — Bryant  is 
editor  of  a  newspaper  in  New  York — the  United  States'  historian 


INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT. 


827 


ned.  Than  the 
of  persons  who 
r  interests  in  the 
paratively  small 
e  heard,  even  in 
But  let  not  our 
one  of  their  own 
rernor  of  Massa- 
a  community  is 
always  the  less" 
3e,   not   only  in 

the  literary  in- 
the  international 
especially  for  the 
Q  literary  school 
)f  England,  the 
fancy.  No  doubt 
iking  rapid  pro- 
gourney,  Irving, 
tCent,  Greenleaf, 
t  of  America  to 
3ut  still,  as  con- 
ary  laurels  have 
3tard  her  in  this 
intage  as  regards 

Exposed  as  he 
arints  an  English 
hor  a  single  six- 
3an  the  publisher 

author  afford  to 

his  acquisition  ? 
rite  from  motives 

it  had,  it  might 
'acts  that  are  on 
sion ;  but  this,  at 
■  literary  produc- 
te  themselves  to 
or  less  influenced 
muneration  given 
nguished  literary 
I  lings,  or  are  en- 
mt  Longfellow  is 
(liege — Bryant  is 

States'  historian 


Bancroft  was  sent  by  the  cabinet  of  the  United  States  to  this 
country — "Washington  Irving  went  as  minister  of  the  United 
States  to  Spain ;  and  the  same  remark  may  be  made  with  reference 
to  various  others  of  the  great  names  of  the  literary  republic  of 
America.  How  far  this  sinking  of  the  literary  in  the  professional 
and  diplomatic  character  has  originated  in  the  non-remunerating 
nature  of  literary  labour,  I  do  not  pretend  to  say ;  but,  in  saying 
that  it  has  much  to  do  with  it,  I  only  state  the  opinion  I  have  my- 
self formed,  and  one  which  is  very  generally  entertained  in  the 
United  States  themselves.  I  find  no  fault  with  the  fact.  Tha.  the 
field  of  diplomatic  life  should  be  open  to  the  ambition  of  literary 
men  augurs  favourably  for  a  nation.  Nay,  more ;  because  men 
are  actively  engaged  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  professional 
or  ofl&cial  life,  it  does  not  therefore  necessarily  follow  that  they 
have  the  less  inclination,  or,  apparently,  the  less  time  for  the 
prosecution  of  literary  pursuits.  Of  this  we  have  many  remarka- 
ble instances.  In  addition  to  the  American  ones  J  have  before 
mentioned,  we  have  numerous  men  in  Great  Britain  who  may  be 
referred  to  by  way  of  illustration.  Henry  (Lord)  Brougham  wrote 
the  numerous  works,  treatises,  essays,  lives,  histories,  and  disserta- 
tions, which  remain  a  record  of  the  versatility  as  well  as  of  the 
vigour  of  his  powerful  mind,  while  in  the  discharge  of  the  duties 
of  an  arduous  profession,  and  engaged  in  the  turmoil  of  political 
life,  or  after  he  had  commenced  the  herculean  task  of  disposing  of 
the  arrears  of  business  in  the  Court  of  Chancery  of  England ; 
Francis  Jeffrey  found  time  to  produce  the  numerous  papers  which 
adorn  the  pages  of  the  Edinburgh  Review,  while  engaged  in  the 
very  vortex  of  his  profession  as  a  lawyer — in  which  profession  he 
occupied  the  very  highest  position ;  Professor  Wilson,  the  world- 
renowned  Christopher  North  of  Blackwood,  wrote  his  various  poems 
and  novels,  in  addition  to  all  his  numerous  and  noble  contributions 
to  the  magazine  he  so  long  edited,  while  discharging  the  duties  of 
the  professional  chair ;  and  to  add  yet  another  instance,  the  his- 
torian of  Europe,  Alison,  has  not  only  found  time  to  write  the 
greater  part  of  his  great  work,  but  to  write  many  other  works, 
besides  numerous  and  erudite  contributions  to  the  periodical  litera- 
ture of  the  day,  while  occupying  the  situation  of  judge-ordinary, 
both  in  civil  and  oriminal  matters,  in  the  most  populous  county — 
in  which  is  the  most  populous  city — in  Scotland.* 

*  It  will  give  the  reader  a  more  graphic  idea  of  the  amount  of  official  and  judicial 
duty,  ably  and  satisfactorily  discharged  by  this  eminent  and  popular  author,  and 
the  zealous  discharge  of  which  has  not  prevented  the  production  of  the  many  works 
of  ability  and  research  which  immortalise  his  name,  to  peruse  the  following  quo- 
tation from  a  speech  of  Mi*,  (now  Lord)  Brougham,  delivered  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons on  the  29tli  April  1830,  in  which  he  thus  makes  mention  of  the  amount  of 
judicial  business  transacted  in  the  civil  court,  of  which  Mr.  Alison  is  the  judge  :•— 


328 


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*i 


Similar  examples  might  be  muUiplied,  but  they  only  prove  that  pro- 
fessional, official,  or  even  judicial  duty  does  not  necessarily  debar  from 
literary  labour.  They  furnish  no  reason  why  men  of  letters  should  be 
almost  compelled  to  engage  in  other,  and  ofttimes  uncongenial  pur- 
suits, because  of  the  insufficiency  of  the  remuneration  received  from 
their  publications.  Besides,  it  is  to  be  questioned  whether  literature 
will  flourish  as  a  separate  profession  in  any  country  in  great  vigour, 
unless  there  be  in  it  a  body — a  large  body — of  men  who  make  it  the 
principal,  if  not  the  exclusive  business  of  their  lives;  and  this  can- 
not be  reasonably  expected  to  be  the  case,  if  the  prosecution  of  it 
leads  not  to  competence,  if  not  to  something  more.  If  therefore  th's 
United  States  of  America  would  see  literature  flourish  amongst  them 
with  additional  vigour,  let  their  Congress  at  once  pass  a  law,  similar 
in  effi^ct  to  the  bill  introduced  into  the  United  States'  Senate  in 
1837,  by  that  able,  venerable,  and  accomplished  statesman,  th'  Hon. 
Henry  Clay,  for  extending  the  privilege  of  the  act  of  183^  to  the 
non-resident  -subjects  of  Great  Britain  and  of  France  in  respect  of 
future  publications.  The  result  of  such  a  measure  would  be  at  once 
seen  in  the  renewed  impetus  it  would  give  to  American  literature 
itself,  whatever  might  bo  its  eflFects  as  regards  the  literature  of  Eng- 
land. 

Another  effect  of  such  a  measure  on  the  part  of  America  as  that 
now  contended  for,  would  be  to  improve  the  character  of  the  Eng- 
lish woiks  which  are  generally  sold  at  public  places — at  railway 
stations — on  board  steamboats — and  in  hotels,  in  and  throughout  the 
United  States.  "Who,  that  has  travelled  in  the  American  Union, 
has  not  been  struck  with  the  inferior,  trashy,  if  not  immoral  character 
and  tendency  of  the  majority  of  the  cheap  publications  that  are  ten- 
dered for  his  acceptance  at  such  places  as  have  been  indicated? 
Nearly  all  of  these  publications  are  reprints  of  books  published  in 
England,  and  the  works  of  our  inferior  novelists,  productions  replete 
with  the  marvellous,  or  with  details  taken  wholesale  from  the  crimi- 
nal records — books  which  profess  to  give  the  minutiae  of  what  is 
called  European  fashionable  life,  for  the  gratification  of  a  morbid 
taste  or  desire  to  pry  into  its  secret  details;  but  which  carry  false- 
hood on  the  very  face  of  them — reprints  of  English  translations  of 
demoralising  books  originally  brought  out  in  France — and  which  arc 
the  more  calculated  to  do  mischief  in  that  they  make  a  parade  of 
exhibiting  the  pleasantness  of  vice,  only  that  they  may  afterwards 
show  that  the  end  was  destruction.  I  appeal  to  every  candid 
American  if  such  be  no*  ■   fair  and  disinterested  description  of  the 

"  Taking  the  number  of  cases,  and  the  value  of  property  involved  in  them,  broud  t 
i  1  tlie  cuunty  court  of  Lanarkshire,  which  includes  Glasgow,  it  will  be  found  tlint 
h  ilf  a  million's  worth  is  adjudicated  on  annually  by  that  court."  If  such  was  the 
slate  of  maters  twenty  years  ago,  the  amount,  as  well  as  the  importance  of  tlio 
business,  has  more  than  doubled  since  the  above  date. 


INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT. 


329 


ly  prove  that  pro- 
isarily  debar  from 
letters  should  be 
uncongenial  pur- 
ion  received  from 
whether  literature 
J  in  great  vigour, 
L  who  make  it  the 
es ;  and  this  can- 
prosecution  of  it 
If  therefore  th'j 
Ish  amongst  them 
ass  a  law,  similar 
States'  Senate  in 
tesman,  thr^  Hon. 
b  of  1831  to  the 
nee  in  respect  of 
would  be  at  once 
nerican  literature 
literature  of  Eng- 

America  as  that 
acter  of  the  Eng- 
laces — at  railway 
id  throughout  the 
American  Union, 
mmoral  character 
;ions  that  are  ten- 
been  indicated? 
)oks  published  in 
reductions  replete 
e  from  the  crimi- 
nutisB  of  what  is 
tion  of  a  morbid 
yhich  carry  false- 
;h  translations  of 
e — and  which  arc 
make  a  parade  of 
r  may  afterwards 
to  every  candid 
lescription  of  the 

vec]  in  them,  broucl  t 
it  will  be  found  tlisit 
t."     If  such  was  the 

e  importance  of  tlio 


literary  food  supplied  in  public  places,  and  public  vehicles  of  travel, 
for  the  use  of  the  general  public  in  the  United  States  of  America. 
When  I  went  over  the  rivers  and  railways  of  America,  there  was  a 
temporary  improvement   on   the  general  state  of  matters  in  this 
respect.     The  two  first  volumes  of  Macaulay's  History  of  England 
had  some  months  before  made  their  appearance  from  Great  Britain, 
and  after  a  very  brief  space  the  work  had  been  reprinted  in  a  very 
cheap  form ;  and  it  is  but  fair  to  say,  that  I  saw  many  of  these  re- 
prints, of  this  great  and  good  work,  in  the  hands  of  the  travelling 
stationers  and  others,  and  many  of  them  sold  at  the  very  low  price 
of  seventy-five  cents,  or  about  three  shillings  sterling.     But  they 
were  exposed  for  sale  side  by  side  with  such  books  as  The  Mysteries 
of  the  Criminal  Records,  Paul  de  Kock's  jPaw?  the  Profligate,  The 
Great  City,  et  hoc  genus  omne.     Indeed,  I  refer  to  this  sale  of  the 
cheap  editions  of  Mr.  Macaulay's  book  the  more  readily,  not  merely 
because  it  is  only  right  to  state  th'        jle  facts,  but  because  in  a 
conversation  I  had  with  an  intelligc   .  statesman  in  America  on  this 
subject  of  international  copyright,  he  pointed  to  the  rapid  and  ex- 
tensive sale  of  such  a  book  as  Mr.  Macaulay's  History  of  England, 
as  one  of  the  advantages  secured  to  his  country  by  the  non-existence 
of  such  a  copyright  law.    Now,  even  were  it  so — even  did  the  refusal 
of  reciprocity  in  protection,  by  way  of  copyright,  lead  to  the  cheap- 
ening of  English  books  of  an  improving  character,  and  consequently 
to  their  being  more  read  by  the  great  mass  of  the  people,  it  were 
easy  to  show  that  the  advantage  is  gained  at  the  too  costly  price  of 
doing  injustice  to  the  great  body  of  American  literary  men,  retarding 
and  repressing  America  in  her  literary  career,  and  leading  to  an  in- 
undation of  cheap  books  of  the  most  demoralising  character.     But 
it  is  not  so.     Ere  I  close  these  few  observations  on  this  subject,  I 
will  show  that  the  cheapness  of  books  might  be  secured  in  America, 
without  involving  any  denial  of  the  reciprocity  for  which  I  contend : 
meanwhile,  the  object  is  to  prove  that  one  of  the  efi'ects  of  such  a 
denial  is  the  overwhelming  number  of  cheap  publications,  of  an 
inferior  and  injurious  character,  which  find  their  way  into  the  hands 
of  the  general  body  of  the  people,  to  the  exclusion  of  the  better 
works.     If  theft  it  be,  (as  some  argue,)  it  is  a  theft  of  trash.     The 
reason  of  this  is  very  obvious.     If  a  publisher  could  not  reprint  an 
English  work  without  iome  previous  arrangement  with  the  author  of 
it,  such  publisher  weald  take  care  that  he  did  not  put  himself  to 
the  expense  of  printing  and  publishing  anything  that  would  not 
stand  the  test  of  time  and  examinat'cn ;  and   however  the  taste  of 
the  vicious  part  of  the  public  may  throw  the  tendency  at  first,  the 
taste  of  the  general  body  of  a  people  is  sure  to  come  right  at  last. 
Silly,  immoral,  impure  works  may  find  a  degree  of  popularity  for  a 
time,  but  in  a  short  space  they  are  sure  to  become  unsaleable.     But 


330 


INTERNATIONAL  COl'YRIGHT. 


n 


as  cheapness  and  novelty  are  (as  matters  at  present  'stand)  the  main 
consideration  in  the  United  States,  and  as  the  publisher  of  an  Eng- 
lish reprint  pays  nothing  for  the  right  to  do  so,  all  he  cares  for  is  to 
print  just  so  many  copies  of  a  work  as  will  take  immediately,  with- 
out reference  to  its  inherent  merits,  or  the  probable  continuance  of 
its  popularity, — as  many  as  he  can  rapidly  dir^pose  of  before  a  rival 
can  interfere  with  a  reprint,  to  deprive  him  of  part  of  his  sales. 
Were  the  publisher  secured  in  his  possession  by  a  copyright,  he 
would  be  more  careful  in  his  selection  of  the  work  to  be  reprinted, 
and  more  regardful  of  the  probability  of  its  finding  acceptance  with 
the  moral  and  reflecting,  who  compose,  I  rejoice  to  think,  a  large 
proportion  of  the  American  nation. 

Another  effect  of  such  an  international  copyright — and  the  last  I 
will  trouble  the  reader  with  for  the  present — would  be  to  equalize 
the  price  of  standard  works  in  both  countries ;  and,  on  the  whole, 
also  to  cheapen  such  works  in  both.  Here  we  touch  on  the  kind  of 
argument  which  is  in  general  used  as  a  reason  for  America's  refusal 
to  reciprocate  with  England  in  an  international  law.  It  is  supposed, 
and  said,  that  the  effect  would  be  to  enhance  the  prices  of  English 
books  in  America,  and  thus  place  them  beyond  the  reach  of  many 
of  the  industrious  classes.  This  is  a  misconception  of  the  probable 
effects.  Whether,  even  were  the  result  to  be  a  slight  or  even  a  con- 
siderable enhancement  in  the  price  of  the  works  of  British  authors  in 
the  Union,  the  American  statesmen  are  acting  wisely  in  refusing 
reciprocity — whether  they  do  right  in  sustaining  a  state  of  things 
■which  makes  Macaulay,  Alison,  and  Tytlcr,  Hemans,  Wordsworth, 
and  Moore,  Dickens,  Wilson,  and  Bulwer,  so  cheap,  that  their  very 
cheapness  offers  an  inducement  for  the  American  public  to  read  them 
in  preference  to  Sigourney,  Longfellow,  and  Bryant,  Bancroft, 
Everett,  and  Prescott,  Irving,  Cooper,  and  Dana,  admits  of  very 
grave  questioning.  But  they  do  not,  by  so  sustaining  the  question- 
able system,  get  even  the  supposed  advantage.  It  is  not  America's 
denial  of  international  copyright  that  has  cheapened  and  is  cheapen- 
ing books,  but  it  is  America's  denial  of  international  copyright  that 
has  produced  all  the  injurious  consequences  to  America  herself  that 
have  been  already  pointed  out. 

Other  causes  than  the  supposed  one  have  contributed  to  the  lessen- 
ing of  the  price  of  literary  productions,  not  only  in  America,  but  in 
England.  In  both  countries  they  have  been  coming  down  in  price 
for  some  years  past,  and  they  are  now  in  general  published  and  sold 
at  prices  so  low  as  to  place  the  best  works  within  the  reach  of  the 
general  body  of  readers.  If,  as  a  rule,  books  are  now  much  lower 
in  price  in  the  United  States  than  they  are  in  Great  Britain,  the 
observation  applies  chiefly,  if  not  alone,  to  the  reprints  of  British 
authors — reprints  which  are  ufitimes  brought  out  with  a  degree  of 


INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT. 


331 


t  'stand)  the  main 
jlisher  of  an  Eng- 
l  he  cares  for  is  to 
mmediately,  with- 
Ae  continuance  of 
e  of  before  a  rival 
part  of  his  sales. 
)y  a  copyright,  he 
rk  to  be  reprinted, 
ig  acceptance  with 
I  to  think,  a  large 

;ht — and  the  last  I 
)uld  be  to  equalize 
md,  on  the  whole, 
uch  on  the  kind  of 
•  America's  refusal 
V.     It  is  supposed, 

prices  of  English 
the  reach  of  many 
on  of  the  probable 
ight  or  even  a  con- 
'  British  authors  in 
wisely  in  refusing 

a  state  of  things 
iians,  Wordsworth, 
ap,  that  their  very 
ublic  to  read  them 
Bryant,  Bancroft, 
la,  admits  of  very 
ning  the  question- 
t  is  not  America's 
ed  and  is  cheapen- 
nal  copyright  that 
lerica  herself  that 

uted  to  the  lessen- 
n  America,  but  in 
ng  down  in  price 
)ublished  and  sold 
the  reach  of  the 
now  much  lower 
reat  Britain,  the 
eprints  of  British 
with  a  degree  of 


inaccuracy  of  type,  inelegance  of  form  and  of  printing,  and  insuffi- 
ciency of  binding,  which  makes  them  truly  dearer,  at  the  cheap 
price,  than  editions  printed  and  published  with  greater  care  would 
be  at  the  high  one.  This  is  another  of  the  effects  of  the  want  of  a 
system  of  international  copyright,  between  these  two  kindred  nations, 
of  which  I  would  say  a  few  words  ere  I  conclude ;  meanwhile  the 
question  is  as  to  the  legitimate  causes  which  have  so  much  lessened 
the  price  of  literary  productions  of  late  years. 

Of  these  it  will  be  sufficient  here  to  mention  these  two — th?  fall- 
ing in  of  copyright  books  by  the  expiry  of  the  term  of  protection, 
and  the  increase  in  the  numbers  of  the  reading  public.  The  first  of 
these,  although  important,  is  of  such  second-rate  influence  compared 
with  the  last,  that  it  may  be  passed  over  without  further  remark. 
The  main  cause  of  the  diminished  price  of  books  is  the  increase  in 
the  number  of  readers,  and  that  authors  and  publishers  have  found 
from  experience,  that  here,  as  in  everything  else,  an  enhanced  price 
produces  a  diminished  demand.  Proprietors  of  copyright  books  do 
not  now  wait  the  expiry  of  the  term  of  protection  before  publishing 
editions  at  a  price  so  cheap  as  to  put  them  within  the  reach  of  the 
general  public.  Of  this  the  instances  are  so  numerous  that  the  diffi- 
culty is  in  selection.  To  take  the  latest  I  have  observed,  most  of 
the  popular  novels  of  Mr.  James,  and  of  the  equally  popular  histori- 
cal romances  of  Mr.  Ainsworth,  most  of  which  were  within  the  last 
few  years  published  at  the  price  of  £1  lis.  Gd.  each,  are  even  now, 
in  the  lifetime  of  the  authors,  and  during  the  subsistence  of  the  copy- 
right, publishing  in  London  in  volumes  each  containing  a  complete 
novel  or  romance,  printed  on  good  paper,  with  a  good  clear  type, 
neatly  got  up,  and  not  in  columns,  at  the  price  of  one  shilling.  Simi- 
lar instances  will  present  themselves  to  every  reader,  illustrative  of 
the  fact  that  the  effect  of  a  copyright  in  keeping  up  the  price  of  books 
of  general  acceptability  has  been  greatly  over-estimated.  In  short, 
the  price  at  which  the  works  of  our  best  authors  are  now  usually 
published,  or  republished,  seems  to  be  very  much  regulated  by  the 
number  of  the  class  of  readers  to  whom  they  are  addressed  or  adapted, 
or  who  may  be  likely  to  peruse  them.  Works  on  law,  medicine,  or 
abstract  science,  or  curious  and  erudite  dissertations  on  philology  and 
suchlike  abstruse  subjects,  are  doar — not  from  anything  in  the  diffi- 
culty or  expense  of  publication,  but  from  the  limited  number  of  the 
parties  to  whom  they  are  more  immediately  addressed.  Works  on 
theology  are  comparatively  cheap,  because  there  is  in  this  country  a 
numerous  class  by  whom  they  are  purchased,  if  not  perused ;  and 
books  of  fiction  and  light  literature  are  generally  cheapest  of  all, 
because  such  works  find  numerous  readers  among  all  classes  of  the 
community. 

And  what,  then,  might  not  be  expected  to  arise  from  the  intro- 


332 


INTERNATIONAL  COPYRIGHT. 


duction  of  an  international  reciprocity  system  on  this  subject? 
Were  American  authors  protected  in  England,  Scotland,  and  Ire- 
land, and  our  numerous  colonies,  and  were  British  authors  pro- 
tected in  the  United  States  of  America,  the  number  of  readers 
would  be  vastly  increased  to  both ;  the  authors  would  be  protected 
from  a  most  undesirable  competition ;  the  general  price  would  be 
reduced,  because  more  books  would  be  sold ;  and  only  Better  and 
more  accurate  editions  would  find  their  way  before  the  public. 
And,  let  our  American  friends  ponder  this,  the  advantage  in  all 
these  respects  would  greatly  preponderate  on  their  side.  The  field 
opened  up  to  the  American  author  would  be  increased  in  a  greater 
ratio  than  that  opened  up  to  the  British  one.  The  undesirable 
competition  which  exists  at  present  tells  far  more  against  him  than 
it  does  against  the  literary  men  of  England.  It  is  in  America,  not 
in;England,  that  the  great  complaint  is  made  of  works  being  thrust 
before  the  public  with  a  haste  and  carelessness  which  is  inconsist- 
ent with  accuracy  :  a  fact  which  is  powerfully  illustrated  by  this, 
that  some  of  the  Irst  booksellers  of  New  York,  Boston,  and  Phila- 
delphia, sell  many  copies  of  English  editions  of  English  books,  in- 
asmuch as  American  gentlemen,  making  additions  to  their  libraries, 
often  prefer  paying  the  English  price  for  the  accurately  printed 
and  strongly  bound  imported  work,  rather  than  the  much  smaller 
price  for  the  hastily  got  up  and  loosely  put  together  copy  of  the 
reprinted  book.  In  one  of  the  most  extensive  publishers  in  the 
city  of  Boston,  I  was  assured  of  this  fact ;  and  it  was  corroborated 
by  the  number  of  imported  books  I  saw  in  the  premises ;  and  con- 
firmed by  a  sale,  in  my  presence,  of  an  English  copy  of  the  two 
first  volumes  of  Mr.  Macaulay's  great  work,  at  the  English  price 
of  16s.  per  volume,  although  an  American  reprint  of  the  book,  of 
as  much  apparent  neatness  and  largeness  of  type,  and  excellence 
of  paper,  lay  alongside  of  it,  marked  at  a  price  of  only  one-third 
the  abovenamed  sum. 

The  introduction  of  Mr.  Clay's  bill  of  1837,  and  the  support  it 
received,  shows  that  there  is  a  class  of  men  in  America  favourable 
to  this  literary  reciprocity  of  legislation  between  the  two  countries 
—a  class  which  is  both  intelligent  and  influential.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  their  numbers  and  their  influen  je  will  increase ;  and 
that,  aided  by  the  pens  of  those  to  be  chiefly  benefited,  their  efforts 
will  eventuate  in  the  production  of  legislative  enactments  which 
will  treat  authors  as  they  deserve  to  be  treated — not  as  members 
of  this  or  of  that  country,  or  as  citizens  of  this  or  of  that  commu- 
nity— but  as  cosmopolitans,  as  benefactors  of  their  race,  and  candi- 
dates for  the  plaudits  of  the  whole  family  of  mankind.  As  he 
peruses  the  immortal  productions  of  their  genius  and  patient  re- 
search }  as  he  appropriates  to  himself  their  observations  or  their 


EMIGRATION. 


333 


this  subject? 
)tland,  and  Ire- 
ih  authors  pro- 
ber of  readers 
Id  be  protected 
price  would  be 
only  better  and 
ore  the  public, 
idvantage  in  all 
side.  The  field 
sed  in  a  greater 
The  undesirable 
gainst  him  than 
in  America,  not 
rks  being  thrust 
ich  is  inconsist- 
istrated  by  this, 
ston,  and  Phila- 
glish  books,  in- 

0  their  libraries, 
curately  printed 
e  much  smaller 
her  copy  of  the 
)ublishers  in  the 
yas  corroborated 
misesj  and  con- 
copy  of  the  two 
le  English  price 
;  of  the  book,  of 
,  and  excellence 
f  only  one-third 

3d  the  support  it 
lerica  favourable 
he  two  countries 
al.  It  is  to  be 
11  increase;  and 
fited,  their  efforts 
aactments  which 
-not  as  members 
of  that  commu- 
•  race,  and  candi- 
Qankind.     As  he 

1  and  patient  re- 
jrvations  or  their 


creations,  or  as  ho  proceeds  to  furnish  his  mind  from  their  works 
with  thoughts,  and  to  pe.»plc  his  brain  with  never-dying  and  ever- 
delightful  memories  and  associations,  who  tiiinks  or  who  cares 
what  country  may  have  given  birth  to  a  Shakspoarc,  a  Byron,  a 
Campbell,  or  a  Scott  ?  The  country  whence  they  sprung  is  proud 
of  them,  and  well  she  may ;  but  they  wrote  not  alone  for  her,  or 
scarcely  even  more  for  her  than  for  the  rest  of  the  world.  Their 
name  and  their  fame  is  heard  over  all  the  earth.  Wherever  there 
exists  a  mind  that  can  appreciate  talent,  or  a  heart  that  can  respond 
to  thtt  touch  of  genius,  to  that  spot  did  they  address  themselves ; 
and  of  that  spot,  wherever  it  may  be,  such  men  may  be  considered 
the  adopted  children.  And  as  I  hope  it  is  with  the  departed  as 
well  as  with  the  living  authors  of  Great  Britain  in  America,  so  I 
know  it  is  in  Great  Britain  with  the  literary  men  of  the  Republic. 
Who  cares  to  consider,  as  he  peruses  the  works  of  the  American 
Hemans — Mrs.  Sigourney — or  of  the  graceful,  elegant,  and  able 
Longfellow,  or  the  vigorous  and  energetic  Bryant,  whether  the 
authors  of  such  works  are  English  or  American — ^whether  they 
were  born  and  educated  in  Boston  in  England,  or  in  its  greater 
name-child,  Boston  in  the  States  ? 

The  only  legislation  that  were  fitted  for  the  question  of  interna- 
tional copyright,  is  f  ae  based  upon  the  above  principles — one 
which  recognizes,  in  all  its  length  and  breadth,  the  cosmopolitan 
nature  of  literary  claims — one,  in  short,  which  acknowledges  wis- 
dom in  the  motto  prefixed  to  this  chapter,  and  sympathizes  with 
the  feelings  set  forth  in  its  kindred  verse, — 

"  Where'er  the  human  heart  doth  wear 

Joy's  mj-rtle-wreath  or  sorrow's  gyves ; 

Where'er  a  human  spirit  strives 
After  a  life  more  true  and  fair, 
There  is  the  true  man's  birth-place  grand, 
His  is  the  world-wide  fatherland." 

There  is  one  other  subject  on  which  I  would  desire  to  say  a  few 
words,  ere  bringing  to  a  conclusion  this  narrative  of  impressions 
and  experiences  connected  with  a  visit  to  the  United  States  of 
America,  and  that  subject  is  the  question  of 

EMIGRATION, 

and  the  advantages  or  disadvantages  attaching  to  the  great  North 
American  continent  as  a  place  to  which  Europeans,  and  especially 
my  own  fellow-countrymen,  may  convey  those  thews,  sinews,  and 
other  appliances,  or  that  knowledge,  science,  and  capital,  which 
have  proved  insufficient  for  their  comfortable  maintenance  in  the 
midst  of  the  greater  competition  and  elbowing  of  their  native  land. 


834 


EMIGRATION. 


WS 


Emigration  from  Europe  is  likely  to  become  one  of  the  leading 
questions  of  the  day ;  and  without  disputing — nay,  on  the  contrary, 
admitting — the  great  claims,  capacities,  and  advantages  held  out 
by  the  vast  continent  of  Australasia,  as  a  field  for  the  able  and  the 
enterprising,  it  is  hoped  that  the  following  remarks  on  emigration 
to  America  may  prove  of  some  use  to  those  persons  whom  connex- 
ion, vicinity,  or  other  ground  of  preference,  may  induce  to  go  there, 
rather  than  to  the  more  distant  British  dependencies  of  New  South 
Wales  or  New  Zealand. 

Never  having  visited  the  vast  possessions  of  England  in  the 
Indian  or  South  Pacific  Ocean,  1  am,  as  a  matter  of  course,  quite 
incompetent  to  institute  any  comparison  between  them  and  the 
American  continent,  in  regard  to  the  inducements  they  respectively 
hold  out  to  intending  emigrants.  In  ofiering  the  following  sugges- 
tions, therefore,  it  is  very  far  from  my  intention  to  persuade  any 
one  to  prefer  North  America  to  Australasia.  Neither  is  it  my 
intention  to  make  any  direct  comparison  between  the  United  States 
of  America  and  the  noble,  varied,  and  extensive  colonial  posses- 
sions of  Great  Britain  on  the  American  conti  ent,  as  places  of 
location  for  parties  from  this  country  seeking  a  home  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Atlantic.  Such  tasks  are  too  extensive  to  be  introduced 
at  the  close  of  a  work  of  this  nai  are.  Were  I  to  adventure  on 
such  comparative  views  at  all,  I  fear  my  feelings  of  patriotism 
would  give  a  strong  bias  to  my  reasoning.  As  a  general  rule,  I 
think  it  most  desirable,  and  most  worthy  the  attention  of  the 
Government  ot^  this  country,  that  everything  possible  should  be 
done  to  direct  the  torrent  of  emigration,  which  has  for  many  years 
been  going  on  and  increasing,  towards  the  shores  of  our  own  valu- 
able colonies;  and,  inasmuch  as  the  vast  majority  of  voluntary 
emigrants  are  influenced  in  their  choice  of  the  place  to  which  they 
emigrate,  chiefly,  if  not  solely,  by  ties  of  a  hereditary  or  family 
nature,  the  plain  course  would  be  to  give  direction  and  impetus,  by 
making  public  grants  t^  aid  in  conveying  bodies  of  emigrants  from 
particular  localities  of  the  mother  country,  and  for  settling  them 
in  circumstances  of  sufficient  comfort  on  public  lands  in  the  colony. 
Such  an  arrangement  might  be  accompanied  by  provision  for  the 
repayment  of  the  loan  or  grant,  or  of  part  of  it,  by  small  annual 
instalments  out  of  the  profit  of  the  reclaimed  lands.  The  nu'^leus 
thus  formed,  the  hereditary  and  family  ties  already  spoken  of  might 
safely  be  left  to  work  out  the  rest. 

Th's  is  an  Interesting  and  important  subject,  but  it  is  not  my 
intention  to  follow  it  farther  for  the  present,  having  made  mention 
of  it  simply  to  show  that  in  the  following  remarks  I  do  not  profess 
to  enter  upon,  much  less  to  discuss,  the  general  question  of  emi- 
gration.    My  object  is  merely  to  note  down  a  few  remarks  as  the 


EMIGRATION. 


335 


,e  of  the  leading 
ff  on  the  contrary, 
antages  held  out 
)r  the  able  and  the 
rks  on  emigration 
ons  whom  connex- 
nduce  to  go  there, 
cies  of  New  South 

England  in  the 

;r  of  course,  quite 

en  them  and  the 

3  they  respectively 

following  sugges- 

i  to  persuade  any 

Neither  is  it  my 

the  United  States 

e  colonial  posses- 

ent,  as  places  of 

dome  on  the  other 

e  to  be  introduced 

to  adventure  on 

ngs  of  patriotism 

a  general  rule,  I 

attention  of  the 

ossible  should  be 

as  for  many  years 

of  our  own  valu- 

)rity  of  voluntary 

ace  to  which  they 

editary  or  family 

n  and  impetus,  by 

of  emigrants  from 

for  settling  them 

nds  in  the  colony. 

provision  for  the 

by  small  annual 

ds.     The  nucleus 

jr  spoken  of  might 

)ut  it  is  not  my 

ng  made  mention 

s  I  do  not  profess 

question  of  emi- 

remarks  as  the 


results  of  personal  inquiry  and  observation — remarks  which  may 
prove  of  service  to  persons  who  may  contemplate  emigrating,  and 
who  may  have  determined  on  America  as  the  scene  to  which  they 
will  remove  themselves. 

Believing  that  emigration  has  its  origin  in  natural  causey  which 
no  legislation  can  eflFectually  control,  and  believing  also  that  any 
legislative  measures  designed  to  restrain  it  would  be  unjust  and 
unwise,  even  if  they  could  accomplish  the  object  aimed  at,  I  think 
the  wisest  course  is  to  direct  and  not  to  retard,  and  that  the  best 
direction  is  to  circulate  information  on  the  subject  of  American 
emigration,  both  to  the  colonies  and  to  the  States. 

The  intending  emigrant  to  America  should,  in  the  first  place, 
make  himself  well  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  the  climate  of 
that  portion  of  the  British  possessions,  or  of  the  Kepublic,  to 
which  he  may  think  of  directing  his  steps.  On  this  subject  there 
is  great  misconception  prevalent.  The  Southern  States  of  the 
Union,  such  as  Georgia,  North  and  South  Carolina,  and  Virginia, 
are  neither  so  hot  nor  so  unhealthy  as  they  are  generally  supposed 
to  be ;  neither  are  the  extreme  Northern  States,  or  the  Canadas,  or 
New  Brunswick,  or  Nova  Scotia,  so  cold  as  they  are  usually  sup- 
posed to  be.  As  regards  the  former,  while  parts  of  them  are  too 
hot  and  too  unhealthy  to  be  comfortable  or  desirable  locations  for 
a  European,  yet  other  parts  of  them,  among  the  hill-country  and 
villages  of  the  western  portions,  enjoy  a  temperate  climate,  which 
is  not  merely  consistent  with,  but  also  conducive  to,  comfort  and 
longevity.  While  as  regards  the  latter,  it  may  be  safely  laid  down 
as  a  general  truth  that,  though  the  winters  arc  somewhat  colder 
than  they  are  in  Great  Britain,  they  are  also  much  drier ;  and 
while  they  do  not  exceed,  even  in  Nova  Scotia,  an  average  of  four 
months'  duration,  the  spring  and  summer  are  characterized  by  a 
luxuriance  and  rapidity  of  vegetation  which  adapts  the  north  par- 
ticularly to  agricultural  pursuits.  Moreover,  the  chief  cities  of 
Canada,  New  BrunsTvick,  Nova  Scotia,  &c.,  are  all  to  the  south  of 
Great  Britain. 

There  are  thus,  at  all  events,  very  great  variations  of  climate  in 
the  North  American  continent,  from  an  almost  tropical  heat  to  a 
great  intensity  of  cold;  and  these  varieties  are  not  to  be  judged  of 
simply  by  a  knowledge  of  the  latitude  and  longitude  of  the  parti- 
cular places :  therefore  the  emigrant  should  carefully  acquaint 
himself,  through  channels  on  which  he  can  rely,  regarding  the 
particulars  of  the  climate  of  his  contemplated  location,  ere  he 
leaves  his  native  country. 

After  climate,  the  selection  of  soil  is  the  next  matter  to  be 
attended  to.  Here  the  choice  is  so  great  as  to  be  very  puzzling. 
In  the  United  Stat£^s,  the  price  of  the  Government  lands  is  one 


836 


EMIGRATION. 


dollar  and  a  quarter  an  acre.  But  these  lands  lie  chiefly  in  the 
newly-settled  states ;  and  I  found  it  tr  be  the  generally  expressed 
opinion  of  intelligent  Americans,  that  the  emigrant  from  Europe 
would  find  it  more  to  his  advantage  to  secure  lands  in  some  of  the 
older  states,  even  though  he  should  do  so  by  the  payment  of  a 
considerably  enhanced  price.  If  the  lands  in  the  new  states  are 
lower,  there  are  disadvantages  in  the  thinness  of  the  population, 
and  in  the  want  of  roads  and  markets ;  while  in  the  older  states, 
if  the  price  of  land  be  higher,  there  are  great  advantages  in  suffi- 
ciency of  labour  and  means  of  transit.  Besides,  the  price  of  land 
in  the  older  settlements  is  not  very  much  higher  than  it  is  in  the 
new — at  least  if  favourable  opportunities  of  purchase  be  watched 
and  taken  advantage  of.  In  1849,  while  the  California  mania  was 
in  the  height  of  its  fervour,  and  even  at  a  later  date,  lands  were  to 
be  had  in  North  America,  in  localities  where  the  roads  were  good, 
the  markets  accessible,  and  the  institutions  of  the  country,  with  all 
the  appliances  for  comfort  and  even  luxury,  in  a  forward  state,  at 
very  moderate  prices — such  prices  a  j  two,  three,  or  four  dollars  per 
acre,  according  to  the  comparative  advantages  of  location.  More- 
over, the  purchase  of  lands  in  sucu  localities  makes  the  change  of 
country  less  felt  than  when  it  is  to  a  remoter,  ruder,  and  newer 
scene ;  and  there  are  always  plenty  of  persons  to  be  found  who, 
from  a  variety  of  causes,  are  disposed  to  sell  their  established  par- 
tially-cleared farms,  and  either  depart  to  the  south  in  search  of 
gold,  or  go  farther  onwards  to  clear  for  themselves  a  new  home  on 
the  outer  extremity  of  civilized  life,  as  the  pioneers  of  advancing 
civilization. 

The  above  remarks  on  locality  have  more  peculiar  application  to 
the  United  States ;  but  they  apply  also  to  the  British  possessions  in 
North  America.  In  these  colonies  also  it  is  true  that  the  emigrant 
often  commits  the  mistake  of  choosing  a  lonely  location,  in  a  part  of 
the  country  comparatively  unsettled,  when  a  very  little  more  of 
original  expenditure  would  secure  him  better  land^  in  a  settled  com- 
munity, and  with  ready  access  to  markets. 

Having  formed  his  resolution  regarding  climate  and  soil,  let  the 
emigrant  look  well  to  the  sufficiency  of  the  title  he  may  get  to  any 
land  he  may  invest  a  part  of  his  money  in  purchasing.  In  the 
British  possessions  this  is  easy  enough;  and  I  have  great  pleasure  in 
saying,  on  the  information  of  many  professional  friends  in  the  United 
States,  that  if  the  matter  bo  properly  gone  about,  it  is  there  as  easy. 
There  is  an  error  generally  prevalent  on  this  subject  in  Great  Brtain. 
Land  titles  in  the  American  Union  are  not  environed  with  more  diffi- 
culties than  they  are  in  this  country.  There  is  no  reason  they  should 
be  so;  inasmuch  as  American  lawyers,  as  a  body,  are  abundantly 
acute  and  able^  and,  I  have  much  pleasure  in  adding,  liiglily  honour- 


1 


! 


EMIGRATION. 


337 


lie  chiefly  in  the 
nerally  expressed 
ant  from  Europe 
is  in  some  of  the 
he  payment  of  a 
le  new  states  are 
)f  the  population, 
1  the  older  states, 
ivantages  in  suffi- 
the  price  of  land 
than  it  is  in  the 
chase  be  watched 
iifornia  mania  was 
late,  lands  were  to 
J  roads  were  good, 
e  country,  with  all 
I  forward  state,  at 
or  four  dollars  per 
'  location.  More- 
ikes  the  change  of 
ruder,  and  newer 
to  be  found  who, 
ir  established  par- 
)uth  in  search  of 
es  a  new  home  on 
eers  of  advancing 

iar  application  to 
itish  possessions  ia 
that  the  emigrant 
ation,  in  a  part  of 
ry  little  more  of 
in  a  settled  com- 

e  and  soil,  let  the 
le  may  get  to  any 
irchasing.  In  the 
0  great  pleasure  in 
ends  in  the  United 
it  is  there  as  easy. 
3t  in  Great  Brtain. 
ed  with  more  diffi- 
reason  they  should 
y,  are  abundantly 
iiy;,  lji<rlilv  honour- 


able  likewise.  Moreover,  the  record  system  is  universal  in  the  Unit- 
ed States ;  and  the  very  fact  that  land  is  plentiful  and  cheap  lessens 
one  of  the  difficulties  in  settling  boundaries. 

There  are  some  other  considerations  that  might  be  suggested  as 
requiring  the  attention  of  the  emigrant  contemplating  the  continent 
of  North  America  as  the  scene  of  his  future  home.  These  would  be 
specified  and  commented  on,  were  this  brief  dissertation  intended  to 
be  a  full  disquisition  on  the  subject.  What  has  been  written  is, 
however,  sufficient  for  the  purpose  in  view,  which  was  to  direct  atten- 
tion to  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  emigrants,  particularly  the 
poorer  class  of  them,  getting  that  accurate  information  before  leaving 
home,  which  is  so  necessary  and  so  desirable ;  and  to  the  advantage 
likely  to  accrue  from  the  establishment  of  a  proper  association  for 
their  assistance  and  protection — not  merely  up  to  the  hour  of  their 
arrival  on  the  shores  of  the  country  of  their  adoption,  but  when 
proceeding,  after  reaching  that  land,  to  the  particular  location  forwhich 
they  are  destined.  He  who  has  seen  the  condition  of  numbers  of 
the  poorer  class  of  emigrants,  when  passing  up  the  rivers  either  to 
the  North  or  the  South  of  the  American  continent,  (either  up  the 
St.  Lawrence  or  up  the  Mississippi,)  on  their  way  to  their  destina- 
tion, will  appreciate  these  remarks  without  further  illustration. 
Having  left  their  native  country  with  but  little  information  as  to 
the  place  for  which  they  are  destined,  save  that  it  is  in  America,  and 
that  they  have  relations  or  connexions  there — after  having  been  par- 
tially robbed  of  their  little  all  at  the  seaport  of  their  embarkation — 
after  having  also  been  misled  into  taking  a  circuitous  and  expensive 
route  to  their  future  home — it  frequently  happens  that  these  poor 
people  arrive  at  an  American  seaport,  to  be  again  partially  plundered, 
and  put  to  much  unnecessary  trouble,  inconvenience,  and  expense, 
ere  they  are  permitted  to  reach  the  particular  locality  chosen  by 
them  as  the  scene  of  their  voluntary  exile.  The  perishing  of  thou- 
sands of  such  emigrants  by  the  way  adds  a  feature  of  deep  melan- 
choly to  the  scenes  thus  feebly  pointed  at.  Some  of  the  notes  in 
which  these  remarks  originated  were  written  when  sailing  on  the 
Mississippi,  in  May  1849,  during  which  month  nearly  every  steamer 
that  went  up  that  mighty  and  muddy  river,  with  emigrants,  lost  a 
large  portion  of  its  living  freight  through  the  ravages  of  cholera, 
and  the  total  unpreparedncss  of  the  poor  people  as  regards  every 
thing  calculated  to  aid  the  constitution  in  resisting  attack.  Part  of 
tbem  were  also  taken  when  sailing  up  the  St.  Lawrence,  from  Que- 
bec to  Montreal,  in  the  same  year,  with  a  steamer  which  had  on 
board  of  it  u  number  of  emigrants,  the  remains  saved  from  certain 
shipfuls  that  had  sailed  from  Ireland  and  Scotland,  but  had  suffered 
shipwreck  in  the  ice.  There  was  no  cholera  or  other  epidemic  raging 
amongst  these  last,  but  it  was  molaneholy  to  find,  ou  getting  into 

2U 


J 


338 


EMIGRATION. 


conversation  with  them,  how  ill-defined  were  their  ideas,  and  how 
vague  were  their  hopes.  Few  of  them  knew  anything  at  all  of  the 
peculiarities  of  the  part  of  Canada,  &c.,  they  had  selected  for  their 
future  home,  and  many  of  them  did  not  even  know  in  what  direction 
it  lay. 

Now  all  this  suffering  might  he  saved,  were  an  association  formed, 
established  on  proper  principles,  and  presided  over  by  men  of  influ- 
ence and  character,  (to  give  a  public  guarantee  for  its  integrity,) 
botL  in  Great  Britain,  in  her  colonial  possessions,  and  in  the  United 
States — an  association  whose  officers  might  obtain  and  circulate  all 
necessary  information,  and  take  charge  of  the  emigrants,  both  ere 
they  leave  this  country,  and  after  they  arrive  on  the  distant  shore. 
It  is  not  my  intention  here  to  point  out  what  should  or  might  be 
the  constitution  of  such  an  association ;  but  it  is  candid  that  I  add, 
that  the  idea  of  protecting  the  emigrant  from  spoliation,  by  means 
of  the  organisation  of  an  emigration  company,  while  it  had  its  origin 
in  conversations  with  men  of  influence  and  information  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Atlantic,  has  been  greatly  confirmed  by  considering  the 
constitution  of  the  Universal  Land  and  Emigration  Association, 
formed  in  London,  with  branches  in  America  and  elsewhere — an  as- 
sociation to  which  I  wish  every  measure  of  success,  being  satisfied 
that  its  objects  are  philanthropic,  and  its  basis  sound;  and  knowing 
that,  even  did  its  beneficial  operations  extend  no  further  than  to  the 
protection  of  the  emigrant  up  to  the  period  of  his  arrival  at  the  place 
of  his  choice,  the  amount  of  good  to  be  effected  would  be  unques- 
tionably great.  An  attractive  feature  of  this  association,  (but  one 
not  peculiar  to  it,  though  only  of  late  introduction  in  aid  of  emigra- 
tion,) is  an  application  of  the  principle  of  life  insurance.  Under  the 
operation  of  this  principle,  the  emigrant  who  is  unable  to  purchase 
the  land  which  he  designs  to  cultivate  may  lease  it  for  life,  at  the 
same  time  insuring  his  life  for  a  sum  equivalent  to  the  value  of  the 
fee-simple.  Thereafter,  an  annual  payment  of  the  premium  of  insu- 
rance, and  of  the  small  annual  rent  of  the  land,  secures  him  the 
possession  during  his  lifetime;  while,  at  his  death,  the  property  de- 
scends to  his  heirs,  or  follows  the  disposition  he  may  himself  have 
made  of  it,  free  and  unencumbered,  the  Association  being  protected 
from  loss  by  means  of  the  life-policy  originally  taken  out. 

It  is  not  for  a  work  like  this  either  to  discuss  the  general  question 
of  the  necessity  and  expediency  of  emigration  from  Europe,  or  to 
follow  out  the  various  modes  in  which  systems  of  emigration  may  be 
originated  and  carried  on,  of  a  nature,  and  in  a  manner,  which  will 
conserve  both  the  comfort  of  the  emigrant  and  the  profit  of  the  capi- 
talist ;  but  there  are  a  few  broad  facts  on  the  subject  which  demon- 
strate the  importance  of  the  adoption  of  proper  measures  for  the 
regulation  of  the  emigration.     Of  these  the  greatest  is,  that,  even 


wh 
inc 
wit 
des 

cro 

Na 
18. 

121 

of: 

nui 

obv 

reg 

ed 

nee 

gra 

ful 

the 

bri| 

hoi 

to  \ 

mei 

of 

mci 

beii 

the 

stuc 

thei 

off] 

I  as  a 
mei 
we  I 
less, 
capi 
hon 
the 
com 
first 

I  com 
evid 
capa 
othe 
to  a 
tber 
grai] 


EMIGRATION. 


839 


r  ideas,  and  lio\^ 
hing  at  all  of  the 
selected  for  their 
ia  what  direction 

.ssociption  formed, 
by  men  of  influ- 
for  its  integrity,) 
and  in  the  United 
and  circulate  all 
nigrants,  both  ere 
the  distant  shore, 
lould  or  might  be 
candid  that  I  add, 
oliation,  by  means 
le  it  had  its  origin 
lation  on  the  other 
jy  vionsidering  the 
•ation  Association, 
elsewhere — an  as- 
ess,  being  satisfied 
und;  and  knowing 
further  than  to  the 
arrival  at  the  place 
I  would  be  unques- 
sociation,  (but  one 
n  in  aid  of  emigra- 
irance.    Under  the 
inable  to  purchase 
it  for  life,  at  the 
to  the  value  of  the 
e  premium  of  insu- 
1,  secures  him  the 
h,  the  property  de- 
may  himself  have 
on  being  protected 
ken  out. 
le  general  question 
rom  P]urope,  or  to 
emigration  may  be 
nanner,  which  will 
B  profit  of  the  capi- 
ject  which  demon" 
measures  for  the 
itest  is,  that,  even 


while  we  speculate  on  its  necessity  or  expediency,  it  is  going  on  and 
increasing.     Even  while  we  debate  the  question  of  whether  any 
withdrawal  of  labour  from  the  markets  of  Europe  is  requisite  or 
desirable,  multitudes  are  deciding  that  question  for  themselves,  and 
crossing  the  ocean,  many  of  them  literally  in  search  of  a  new  home. 
Nay,  more,  the  numbers  of  those  that  do  so  are  increasing.     In 
1846,   the  total  number  of  emigrants  from   Great  Britain  was 
129,851;  in  1847,  it  rose  to  258,270  j  while,  in  1848,  it  was 
248,089.     The  mass  of  these  emigrants  have  gone  to  the  continent 
of  North  America ;  and,  of  those  that  have  gone  there,  the  larger 
number  have  gone  to  the  States.     With  such  a  fact  before  us,  it  is 
obviously  no  answer  to  an  appeal  for  the  adoption  of  measures  to 
regulate  this  stream  of  emigration,  (so  as  to  prevent  its  being  attend- 
ed with  a  sacrifice  of  life  and  property,)  to  say  that  there  is  no 
necessity  for  emigrating  at  all.     Of  that  the  individuals  who  emi- 
grate should  be  the  best  judges ;  and  it  surely  augurs  a  very  power- 
ful motive,  that  whole  families,  from  the  grayheaded  grandsire  to 
the  young  man  just  entering  upon  that  period  of  life  when  hope  is 
brightest  and  love  of  country  strongest,  tear  themselves  from  ties  of 
home,  and  embark  by  shipfuls  to  seek  a  distant  home  across  a  hither- 
to untried  wave.     No  speculation  will  getter  the  better  of  the  argu- 
ment which  the  fact  supplies ;  and  therefore  it  is  that  every  friend 
of  humanity  ought  to  contemplate  with  satisfaction  any  judicious 
measure  for  conducting  emigration  in  such  a  way  as  will  prevent  its 
being  attended  with  that  loss  of  life,  and  squandering  of  property, 
the  past  existence  of  which  is  best  known  to  those  who  have  most 
studied  the  fortunes  of  the  emigrants,  not  only  up  to  the  date  of 
their  leaving  this  country,  but  up  to  that  of  their  arrival  at  the  far- 
off  home  of  their  adoption.     No  doubt  it  has  been  by  some  urged, 
as  an  argument  against  concurring  in  measures  for  the  encourage- 
ment of  emigration,  by  making  it  more  pleasant  and  more  safe,  that 
we  are  thereby  aiding  in  the  withdrawal,  not  of  the  useless  or  worth- 
less, but  of  a  very  valuable  class  of  the  community,  and  also  of  much 
capital,  which  might  otherwise  be  profitably  employed  or  invested  at 
home.     A  little  inquiry  and  reflection  destroys  much  of  the  force  of 
the  first  branch  of  this  objection  j  and  the  same  means  lead  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  second  is  not  so  sound,  in  point  of  fact,  as  it  at 
I  first  sight  appears.     No  doubt,  many  very  valuable  members  of  the 
i  community  do  emigrate  j  but  the  fact  of  their  doing  so  is  the  best 
I  evidence  of  their  inability  to  find  profitable  development  for  their 
capabilities  at  home ;  and  besides,  their  departure  makes  room  for 
others,  who  would  not  otherwise  be  able  so  to  employ  themselves  as 
to  add  to  the  general  resources  of  the  nation.     Exceptional  cases 
there  are,  but  these  prove  nothing  against  the  general  rul3.     Emi- 
I  grants  from  some  districts  might  find  all  the  relief  their  particular 


840 


EMIGRATION. 


cases  require,  without  emigrating  beyond  the  limits  of  their  native 
land.  But  it  is  purely  not  to  be  argued  that  obstacles  should  be 
thrown  in  the  way  even  of  the  departure  of  such  persons.  Liberty 
to  choose  for  himself  the  place  of  his  location  is  one  of  the  dearest 
birth-rights  of  a  free-born  man;  and  the  love  of  country  and  of 
home,  by  nature  implanted,  and  strongest  in  the  breasts  of  the  most 
valuable  of  a  nation's  peasantry  and  people,  is  an  abundantly  safe 
check  against  the  undue  increase  of  such  exceptional  cases  as  have 
been  now  referred  to. 

As  to  the  monetary  part  of  the  question,  it  is  of  course  true  that 
a  large  sum  is  annually  withdrawn  by  the  departure  of  a  numerous 
army  of  emigrants.  But,  even  without  going  into  a  very  lengthened 
investigation,  it  would  not  be  difficult  to  show  that  the  impetus 
given  to  trade  by  these  very  "  pioneers  of  civilisation  and  of  liber- 
ty," and  by  the  demand  which  they  aid  in  creating,  in  distant  lands, 
for  the  manufactured  commodities  of  the  Old  Country,  very  speedily 
restores  the  amount  removed,  even  with  the  addition  of  a  profit. 
There  is,  however,  another  source  of  return  which  is  more  apt  to  be 
overlooked,  and  that  is,  the  pecuniary  amounts  sent  home  by  pre- 
vious emigrants,  in  their  affectionate  desire  to  aid  the  relatives  and 
connexions  they  have  left  behind  to  leave  the  crowded  fields  of  com- 
petition at  home,  and  join  them  in  the  less  occupied,  though  per- 
chance ruder,  scene  to  which  they  had  withdrawn  themselves.  To 
the  credit  of  the  warm-hearted  sons  and  daughters  of  Erin  be  it  said, 
that  this  is  an  especial  feature  in  the  emigration  from  the  Emerald 
Isle,  nearly  three-fourths  of  the  whole  expense  of  emigration  from 
Ireland  being  defrayed  by  remittances  made  by  previous  emigrants. 
As  to  the  amount  actually  remitted  I  find  it  authentically  stated  that 
the  sum  paid  in  the  United  States  of  America,  in  settlement  of  the 
passage-money  of  persons  going  hence,  with  the  amount  remitted  on 
the  same  account  through  mercantile  firms  in  Liverpool  and  different 
parts  of  Ireland,  (exclusive  of  that  which  passed  through  the  house 
of  Baring,  Brothers,  and  Co.,  of  which  there  was  no  return,)  was  in 
the  year  1848  upwards  of  £460,000. 

But  the  facts  last  mentioned  are  only  subjects  for  consideration; 
They  enter  not  into  the  general  argument  of  whether  it  is  expe- 
dient to  adopt  measures  for  the  regulation  of  that  tide  of  emigra- 
tion which  has  for  some  years  been  so  steadily  increasing.  With 
many  others,  I  have  arrived  at  the  conclusion,  that  to  do  so  were 
highly  expedient  and  highly  philanthropic. 

But  while  the  government  and  people  of  these  lands,  already 
abundantly  supplied  with  inhabitants,  are  thus  called  upon  to  aid 
in  the  promotion  of  the  comfortable  translation  of  such  of  their 
fellow-countrymen  as  may  wish  expatriation,  those  of  the  lands  to 
be  supplied  from  that  abundance  have  even  a  stronger  call,  and  a 


EMIGRATION. 


341 


ts  of  their  native 
)stacles  should  be 
persons.  Liberty 
me  of  the  dearest 
)f  country  and  of 
)reasts  of  the  most 
Q  abundantly  safe 
)nal  cases  as  have 

f  course  true  that 
ire  of  a  numerous 
I  a  very  lengthened 

that  the  impetus 
ition  and  of  liber- 
g,  in  distant  lands, 
ntry,  very  speedily 
dition  of  a  profit. 
I  is  more  apt  to  be 
sent  home  by  pre- 
i  the  relatives  and 
ivded  fields  of  com- 
Dipied,  though  per- 
1  themselves.     To 

of  Erin  be  it  said, 
from  the  Emerald 
f  emigration  from 
>revious  emigrants, 
ntically  stated  that 

settlement  of  the 
mount  remitted  on 
rpool  and  different 
through  the  house 
no  return,)  was  in 

for  consideration  J 
yrhether  it  is  expe- 
at  tide  of  emigra- 
ncreasing.  With 
;hat  to  do  so  were 

se  lands,  already 
called  upon  to  aid 
of  such  of  their 
(se  of  the  lands  to 
onger  call,  and  a 


deeper  interest,  in  the  matter — although  this  is  a  view  of  the  ques- 
tion to  which  much  attention  has  not  yet  been  directed.  If  emi- 
gration, properly  conducted,  tends  to  the  relief  ^  a  too  thickly- 
peopled  country,  immigration  properly  conducted,  will  tend  to  the 
advancement  of  a  nation  whose  territory  is  too  extensive  for  its 
population.  In  both  these  cases  there  is  the  same  necessity  for 
the  adoption  of  controlling  measures.  Emigration  may  weaken 
and  impoverish  when  it  should  only  relieve.  Immigration  may 
demoralize  and  debase,  when  it  should  only  supply  the  means  of 
subjugating  the  soil.  If  in  either  case  evil  is  the  issue,  the  fault 
lies  not  in  encouraging  the  one  or  in  promoting  the  other,  but  in 
the  absence  of  proper  measures  of  regulation  or  control.  As  na- 
tives of  a  land  whence  numbers  of  the  community  are  annually 
removing  themselves,  it  is  with  emigration  that  the  British  public 
have  to  do ;  and  few  among  them  can  fail  to  rejoice  at  the  spirit 
which  has  lately  manifested  itself  to  adopt  measures  for  the  pro- 
tection and  safety  of  those  whom  difficulties  at  homt,  or  any  other 
causes,  may  induce  to  seek  a  new  and  distant  home  in  any  of 
Great  Britain's  numerous  and  noble  colonies,  or  even  in  other 
lands. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


"Lives  there  the  man 


Whose  heart  hath  ne'er  within  him  burned, 
When  home  his  footsteps  he  hath  turned 
From  wandering  on  a  foreign  strand." 

Scott. 

Trite  as  is  the  above  quotation,  it  accurately  describes  a  feeling 
which  more  or  less  pervades  every  one  of  whose  composition  love 
of  country  forms  a  part.  We  may  talk  and  write  of  being  cosmo- 
polites, and  it  is  right  and  proper  that  we  should  often  feel,  and 
generally  act  as  if  we  were  so.  But  there  is  an  *  iner  shrine  for 
love  of  country  and  home ;  and  strangely  constituted  must  be  the 
heart  that  can  return  to  the  shores  of  his  native  land  without  some 
feelings  of  pleasurable  emotion.  What  may  be  the  feelings  of 
the  man  who  has  expatriated  himself  for  nearly  a  lifetime,  or 
oven  for  a  series  of  years,  I  cannot  pretend  to  say ;  but  this  I  can 
affirm,  that  it  was  with  much  satisfaction,  excitement,  and  plea- 
sant sensation  that,  the  pain  of  the  farewell  to  my  kind  friends  in 
Boston  over,  I  found  myself  on  the  morning  after  going  on  beard 
the  steamship  Caledonia,  Captain  Leitch,  bounding  onwards  in 
the  course  for  the  white  cliffs  of  Old  England. 

29* 


342 


HALIFAX. 


A  sail  of  some  forty  hours  brought  us  to  Halifax,  the  capital  of 
Nova  Scotia,  which  I  was  agreeably  surprised  to  find  both  a  larger 
and  a  better  built  town  than  the  descriptions  of  others  had  led  me  to 
expect.  The  most  favourable  view  of  Halifax  iis  from  the  sea — as  it 
stands  on  the  declivity  of  a  hill  of  about  tv7o  hundred  and  fifty  feet 
high — the  sides  of  which  are  thus  seen  covered  with  warehouses, 
dwelling-houses,  and  public  buildings,  rearing  their  heads  in  rows, 
one  over  the  other,  up  to  the  summit.  These  buildings  are  inter- 
spersed and  enlivened  with  the  spires  of  the  chu  .'ches,  and  of  some 
other  erections ;  and,  amongst  the  wholC;  a  rotunda-looking  Dutch 
church  ard  the  signal-posts  on  Citadel  Hill  stand  conspicuous.  To 
these  elements  add  the  different  batteries — the  variety  in  the  style  in 
which  the  houses  are  built,  and  of  the  colours  with  which  they  are 
painted ;  the  rows  of  trees  showing  themselves  in  different  parts  of 
the  town  j  the  numerous  ships  moored  opposite  the  dockyard,  with 
the  establishments  and  tall  shears  of  the  latter ;  the  merchant  vessels 
under  sail,  or  at  anchor,  or  moored  alongside  the  wharves;  the 
wooded  and  rocky  scenery  of  the  background,  with  the  island  and 
small  town  of  Dartmouth  on  the  opposite  shore — and  the  reader  will 
see  at  once  that  there  is  much  in  a  view  of  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia, 
which  is  calculated  to  gratify  a  visitor. 

It  fortunately  happened  that  the  day  of  our  arrival  at  Halifax  was 
the  centenary  of  the  first  establishment  of  the  town,  by  the  British 
in  1749,  in  which  year  it  was  founded  in  order  o  protect  the  British 
settlements  in  Nova  Scotia  from  the  attacks  of  the  French  and  the 
Indians.  Preparations  had  been  made  for  the  celebration  of  the  day 
by  a  salute  of  a  hundred  guns,  ringing  of  bells,  review  of  troops,  and 
display  of  fireworks.  Brief,  therefore,  as  was  our  stay  in  Halifax, 
we  were  privileged  to  see  it  in  full  dress,  and  the  two  hours*  ramble 
through  its  streets  presented  more  incidents  to  interest  and  amuse 
than,  in  other  circumstances,  could  have  been  anticipated.  Silken 
and  satin  badges,  in  commemoration  of  the  event,  had  been  prepared ; 
and  a  colonial  bard  had  composed,  printed,  and  published  a  Song  for 
the  Centenary,  in  lines  of  great  sweetness  of  versification  as  well  as 
of  considerable  poetic  power,  and  commencing  with  the  verse, 

" Hail  to  the  day!  when  the  Britons  came  over, 
And  planted  their  standard  with  sea-foam  all  wet ; 
Above  and  around  us  their  spirits  still  hover, 
Kejoicing  to  mark  how  we  honour  it  yet." 

The  public  buildings  of  Halifax  are,  the  Provincial  building,  which 
is  about  140  feet  long,  by  70  broad,  and  has  a  handsome  Ionic  colon- 
nade ;  the  Government  House,  a  somewhat  gloomy-looking  but  sub- 
stantial stone  edifice ;  and  Dalhousie  College,  a  fine  building,  erected 
of  free  stone.     These,  and  the  very  spacious  and  superior  dockyards, 


ICEBERGS. 


343 


'ax,  the  capital  of 
ad  both  a  larger 
jrs  had  led  me  to 
)m  the  sea — as  it 
[red  and  fifty  feet 
with  warehouses, 
ir  heads  in  rows, 
lildings  are  inter- 
ihes,  and  of  some 
ia-looking  Dutch 
conspicuous.  To 
3ty  in  the  style  in 
li  which  they  are 

different  parts  of 
le  dockyard,  with 

merchant  vessels 
he  wharves;  the 
;h  the  island  and 
id  the  reader  will 
ifax,  Nova  Scotia, 

al  at  Halifax  was 
^n,  by  the  British 
rotect  the  British 

French  and  the 
jration  of  the  day 
lew  of  troops,  and 

stay  in  Halifax, 
wo  hours'  ramble 
iterest  and  amuse 
icipated.  Silken 
id  been  prepared ; 
lished  a  Song  for 
ication  as  well  as 

the  verse, 

ivct ; 


l1  building,  which 
some  Ionic  colon- 
-looking  but  sub- 
building,  erected 
perior  dockyards, 


I 


which  cover  a  space  of  about  fourteen  acres,  may  be  said  to  consti- 
tute the  celebrities  of  the  capital  of  Nova  Scotia. 

Leaving  Halifax,  we  found  ourselves  once  more  at  sea,  steaming 
onward,  at  an  increased  rate,  as  the  vessel  gradually  rose  in  the  water 
on  the  equally  gradual  consumption  of  the  heavy  cargo  of  coals  with 
which  she  had  started  from  Boston. 

The  incidents  even  of  the  most  agreeable  sea  voyage  do  not  afford 
much  that  would  interest  in  the  narration ;  and  if  that  be  the  case 
even  in  a  sailing  vessel — where  there  is  always  the  rise  and  fall  and 
direction  of  the  wind  as  a  subject  for  speculation,  and  not  unfre- 
quently  the  amusement  of  fishing  for  the  monsters  of  the  deep,  as 
"  slow  the  ship"  is  tracking  her  progress  through  the  waters — far 
more  true  must  it  be  when  the  voyage  is  performed  in  a  steamship. 
Still  there  were  one  or  two  occurrences  to  note  even  in  the  voyage  in 
question.  We  saw  numerous  icebergs,  a  multitude  of  whales,  and 
enjoyed  at  least  the  report  that  something  "  as  long,  sir,  as  a  snake" 
had  been  seen  performing  its  evolutions  in  the  vicinity  of  the  ship. 

Within  two  days  after  leaving  Halifax  we  came  in  sight  of  the 
icebergs,  and,  during  that  and  the  followiiig  day,  a  great  many  such 
sparkling  islets  were  visible  from  the  deck.  Not  less  than  eight 
large  ones  were  within  near  view  at  one  time.  The  sun  shone  brightly 
during  the  forenoon  of  each  day,  and  it  were  not  easy  to  conceive  a 
more  beautiful  sight  than  these  masses  of  ice  displayed  under  the  in- 
fluence of  his  rays.  Like  most  of  my  fellow-passengers,  my  attention 
was  particularly  directed  to  the  appearance  of  two  of  them.  The 
first,  to  which  we  approached  within  the  distance  of  less  than  a  mile, 
was  generally  estimated  at  from  200  to  250  feet  high  from  the  sur- 
face of  the  water — although  it  is  a  curious  study  to  observe  the  va- 
riety of  the  conclusions  as  to  the  size  and  distance  of  objects  to  which 
different  members  of  the  same  party  will  arrive  when  the  eye  alone 
is  the  guide.  The  upper  part  of  the  "  berg"  was  of  the  purest 
white,  as  if  powdered  over  with  snow,  while  the  base  was  washed 
smooth,  clear,  and  somewhat  hollow  j  and  the  dark-blue  wave,  as  it 
surged  upon  it,  shone  green,  or  sparkled  into  foam,  in  a  singularly 
beautiful  manner.  When  first  seen,  this  ocean-wanderer  from  the 
northern  seas  appeared  to  all  on  board  as  bearing  an  exact  resem- 
blance to  a  lion  couchant ;  and  this  semblance  it  bore  during  the 
whole  time  it  continued  within  view.  Ere  it  faded  into  distant  view, 
the  other  I  have  alluded  to  attracted  the  general  notice.  It  was  con- 
siderably larger  in  every  way  than  the  one  already  described;  and  as 
we  approached,  neared,  passed,  and  receded  from  it,  the  appearances 
it  assumed  were  ever  varying.  At  one  time  the  exclamation  was, 
How  like  a  perfect  fortress  of  ice  !  at  another.  How  strongly  it  resem- 
bles a  Gothic  ruin !  These,  and  the  several  appearances  of  moun- 
tains, churches,  monasteries,  Swiss  mountain  and  adjacent  goatherds' 


844 


A  SH  N*L  OF  WHALES. 


cottage,  all  had  their  advocales,  ani  each  could  appeal  to  the  beau- 
tiful object  itself  for  some  sort  of  countenance  to  the  similarity  which 
his  own  imagination  had  been  partly  instrumental  in  forming. 

The  danger  of  coming  into  actual  contact  with  such  stern  wan- 
derers of  the  ocean  is,  of  coi.rse,  much  less  in  a  steamship  than  in 
a  sailing  one ;  but,  nevertheless,  it  seems  but  too  probable  that  such 
was  the  mode  in  which  the  ill-fated  President,  and  her  whole  living 
freight  of  crew  and  passengers,  were  hurried  into  eternity:  and 
now,  when  steaming  in  the  very  track  in  which,  in  all  probability, 
they  were  at  the  time  proceeding,  and  in  sight  of  objects  of  the 
same  species  as  those  which  had  sunk  them  to  the  bottom,  most 
natural  was  it  that  the  memory  of  the  gallant  Roberts,  and  his  ill- 
fated  crew  and  passeugers,  should  rise  upon  the  mind  with  much 
freshness  of  recollection.  So  great  a  length  of  time  has  now  elapsed 
since  the  event  allude i  to  occurred,  without  any  certain  intelligence 
being  obtained  on  which  a  competent  opinion  can  be  formed  as  to 
the  exact  mode  in  which  the  President  was  lost,  that  there  is  no 
piobability  of  the  truth  being  known  to  us,  till  the  day  of  the  reve- 
lation of  all  things — that  day  when  "  the  sea  shall  give  up  its  dead." 
But  th  t  the  destruction  was  a  violent  one,  although  in  open  sea,  is 
certain ;  and  it  is  little  less  so  that  it  occurred  in  the  manner  I  have 
suppo.'sed,  and  in  the  darkness  of  night,  after 

"  The  sunless  day  went  down 
Over  the  waste  of  waters  like  a  veil." 

Even  while  yet  among  the  icebergs,  we  saw  several  whales,  but  it 
was  nut  till  the  last  :f  the  bergs  had  faded  into  thin  air  that  we 
came  to  the  places  where  it  would  seem  these  monsters  "  most  do 
congregate."  And  there  they  were  in  number  plentiful — ahead, 
astern,  and  on  every  side  of  us.  At  some  distance  they  seemed  to 
be  reposing  on  the  water — their  dark  backs  alone  visible,  to  an 
extent  of  about  the  size  of  the  back  of  a  horse,  or  occasionally  rolling 
over  in  porpoise-like  rolls,  as  if  amusing  themselves  in  lazy  gambols. 
As  the  ship  approached  nearer — sometimes  so  near  that  the  bow  or 
paddles  were  within  twenty  or  thirty  yards  of  the  huge  animals  ere 
they  appeared  to  observe  us — they  threw  up  their  tails  three  or  four, 
or  occasionally  six  feet  out  of  the  water,  levealed  the  white^underskin 
beneath,  and  plunged  into  the  deep  abyss,  to  rise  and  "  spout"  at 
some  considerable  distance  from  the  ship.  One  of  them  performed 
such-like  evolutions  within  only  a  few  feet  of  the  paddle-box,  on 
which  about  half-a-dozen  of  the  passengers  were  standing  watching 
his  motions ;  and,  on  comparing  notes  with  several  of  my  fellow- 
passengers,  I  found  the  prevalent  opinion  to  be,  that,  in  the  course 
of  a  few  hours,  we  had  seen,  within  near  view,  fully  a  hundred  of 
these  fish-like  beasts.     Of  >/hat  particular  species  they  were,  I  did 


1 

i 


I 


SEA-SERPENT. 


345 


»peal  to  the  beau- 
le  similarity  which 
in  forming. 
ii  such  st^rn  wan- 
steamship  than  in 
probable  that  such 
1  her  whole  living 
Qto  eternity:  and 
in  all  probability, 
of  objects  of  the 
the  bottom,  most 
oberts,  and  his  ill- 
mind  with  much 
le  has  now  elapsed 
;ertain  intelligence 
n  be  formed  as  to 
;,  that  there  is  no 
e  day  of  the  reve- 
give  up  its  dead." 
igh  in  open  sea,  is 
the  manner  I  have 


era!  whales,  but  it 
0  thin  air  that  we 
tonsters  "  most  do 
plentiful — ahead, 
ce  they  seemed  to 
one  visible,  to  an 
>ccasionally  rolling 
;s  in  lazy  gambols. 
,r  that  the  bow  or 

huge  auimals  ere 
tails  three  or  four, 
le  white_underskin 
Ise  and  "  spout"  at 

them  performed 
he  paddle-box,  on 
standing  watching 
iral  of  my  fellow- 
that,  in  the  course 
'ully  a  hundred  of 
s  they  were,  I  did 


not  inquire ;  and  as  to  the  nature  of  the  occupations  in  which  they 
were  engaged,  they  had  so  much  the  appearance  of  enjoying  them- 
selves with  their  young,  in  their  appropriate  ocean-home,  that  I  was 
reminded  of  the  facetious  description  of  a  whale's  probable  pleasures, 
put  into  the  mouth  of  Hogg,  in  the  "  Noctes  Ambrosianae"  of  Black- 
wood, where  the  Shepherd  says — "  Let  me  see — I  sud  hae  nae  great 
objections  to  bo  a  whale  in  the  polar  seas.  Gran'  fun  to  fling  a 
boatful  of  harpooners  into  the  air,  or  wi'  ae  thud  o'  your  tail  to  drive 
in  the  stern-ports  of  a  Greenlandman.  But  then  whales  marry  but 
ae  wife,  and  are  passionately  attached  to  their  offspring.  There  they 
and  I  are  congenial  speerits.  Nae  fish  that  swims  enjrys  so  large  a 
share  o'  domestic  happiness." 

It  was  on  the  morning  after  we  had  passed  through  the  longest 
herd  or  flock  of  whales,  that  the  incident  occurred  regarding  the  sea- 
serpent,  of  which  casual  mention  has  already  been  made.  But,  inas- 
much as  the  first  report  of  a  snake  having  been  seen  from  the  deck 
of  the  ship,  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  degenerated  into  the 
fact  that,  at  the  hour  named,  one  of  the  passengers,  and  the  officer 
on  the  watch,  had  observed  a  motion  in  the  waters  which  had  a  strong 
rcsembbiiCe  to  the  undulating  movement  in  the  waves  which  would 
be  produced  by  the  rapid  swimming  of  a  large  member  of  the  serpent 
tribe,  the  matter  would  not  have  been  worthy  of  allusion,  had  it  not 
been  for  i;he  discussion  which  resulted  from  it  on  this  questio  vexata, 
of  the  piobable  existence  of  some  such  monster — which  is  not  merely 
amphibious,  as  most  serpents  are,  but  which  is  so  provided,  by  natural 
adaptation,  as  to  be  able  to  make  the  sea  its  home,  just  as  is  done  by 
the  whale  and  other  animals,  even  of  the  genus  mammalia.  To  judge 
from  the  statements  of  some  of  the  parties  on  board,  having  reference 
to  the  personal  experience  of  themselves,  or  of  their  own  credible 
acquaintances,  there  would  seem  to  be  little  doubt  of  the  existence 
of  some  such  inhabitant  of  the  "  world  of  waters."  And,  after  the 
description  given  of  the  animal,  seen  some  years  ago  by  a  clergyman 
and  others  in  the  Hebridean  sea — of  the  one  seen  several  times,  and 
by  different  parties,  off  the  coast  of  North  America,  and  particularly 
off  New  York  and  Boston  and  the  shores  of  Nova  Scotia—  of  the 
brute  clearly  seen  and  minutely  described  by  Captain  M'Qhae  of  the 
Daedalus  and  some  of  the  officers  of  that  ship,  when  cruising  in  the 
South  Atlantic  Ocean  in  1848,  (not  to  say  anything  of  the  more 
ancient,  but  equally  graphic  account  of  Pontoppidan,) — it  is  surely 
more  probable  that  some  such  animal  exists,  than  that  these  various 
parties  have  either  been  deceived  themselves,  or  are  attempting  to 
deceive  the  rest  of  mankind.  The  latter  idea  is  now  out  of  the  ques- 
tion, and  the  former  seems  equally  excluded  by  the  very  minuteness 
of  the  description  given  by  the  witnesses  themselves.  That  few  such 
animals  have  been  seen  makes  nothing  against  the  fact  of  their  exist- 


346 


HOME. 


ence.  They  may  be  few  in  number,  and  there  may  be  good  and 
sufficient  reason  why  they  are  so,  or  why  they  are  but  rarely  seen 
by  human  eye,  although  it  may  be  impossible  to  adopt  the  theory, 
that  the  existing  sea-serpent  of  American  fame  is  "  the  only  ane  o' 
his  species  noo  extant ;  and,  whether  he  dees  in  his  bed,  or  is  slain 
by  Jonathan,  must  incur  the  pain  and  opprobrium  o'  defunckin'  an 
auld  batchelor."* 


The  other  incidents  of  the  voyage — the  sighting  and  passing  Capo 
Clear,  the  going  up  Channel,  the  arrival  at  Liverpool,  and  the  return 
home,  I  leave  to  the  imagination  of  my  readers, — thanking  them  for 
having  accompanied  me  thus  far ;  and  assuring  them,  that,  if  they 
should  ever  be  disposed  to  take  such  a  voyage,  and  such  a  round,  it 
is  my  fervent  hope  that  they  may  derive  from  it  as  much  benefit,  and 
as  much  pleasure,  as  it  was  productive  of  in  the  case  of 

THE  AUTHOR. 


♦  See  Blachoood  for  July  1827. 


may  be  good  and 
re  but  rarely  seen 
adopt  the  theory, 
IS  "  the  only  ane  o' 
bis  bed,  or  is  slain 
m  o'  defunckin'  an 


y  and  passing  Capo 
ool,  and  the  return 
■thanking  them  for 
)hem,  that;  if  they 
id  such  a  round,  it 
I  much  benefit;  and 
ase  of 


THE  AUTHOR. 


APPENDIX. 


DANISH  EMANCIPATION  ACT  OF  3d  JULY,  1848. 

Jeo 

Peter  Carl  Frederik  v.  Scholten 

Gior  villerligt: 

1.  AUe  Ufrie  paa  de  danske  vestindiske  Oer  ere  fra  Dags  Date 
frigivne. 

2.  Negerne  paa  Plantagerne  beholde  i  3  Maaneder  fra  Dato 
Brugen  af  de  Huse  og  Provisionsgrunde,  hvoraf  de  nu  ere  i 
Besiddelse. 

3.  Arbeide  betales  for  Fremtiden  efter  Overeenskomst,  hvorimod 
Allowance  ophorer. 

4.  Underholdningen  af  Gamle  og  Svage,  som  ere  ude  af  Stand 
til  at  arbeide,  af  holdes  indtil  naermere  Bestemmelse  af  deres  forrige 
Eiere. 

Givet  under  General  Gouvernementets  Segl  og  min  Haand. 
General  Gouvernementet  over  de  danske  vestindiske  Oer,  St. 
Croix  den  3die  Juli,  1848. 

(L.  S.)  P.  V.  Scholten. 

[translation.] 

I 

Peter  Charles  Frederick  v.  Scholten, 

Maketh  known: 


1.  All  Unfree  in  the  Danish  West  India  Island  are  from  to-day 
emancipated. 

2.  The  Estate  Negroes  retain,  for  three  months  from  date,  the 
use  of  the  houses  and  provision-grounds,  of  which  they  have 
hitherto  been  possessed. 


848 


APPENDIX. 


■i^lti  f 


3.  Labour  is  in  future  to  be  paid  for  by  agreement,  but  allow- 
ance is  to  cease. 

3.  The  maintenance  of  old  and  infirm,  who  are  not  able  to 
work,  is,  until  farther  determination,  to  be  furnished  by  the  late 
owners. 

Given  under  the  General  Government's  Seal  and  my  Hand. 

General  Government  of  the  Danish  West  India  Islands,  St. 
Croix,  the  3d  July,  1848. 

(L.    S.)  P.   V.  SCHOLTEN. 


J 


Translation  of  the  Provisional  Act  to  regulate  the  relations  be- 
tween the  Proprietors  of  Landed  Estates  and  the  Bural  Popula- 
tion of  Free  Labourers. 

I,  Peter  Hansen,  Knight  Commander  of  the  Order  of  Danne- 
brog,  the  King's  Commissioner  for  and  officiating  Governor- 
General  of  the  Danish  West  Indiau  Islands, 

Make  known  :  That  whereas  the  Ordinance  dated  29th  July, 
1848,  by  which  yearly  contracts  for  labour  on  landed  estates  were 
introduced,  has  not  been  duly  acted  upon ;  whereas  the  interest  of 
the  proprietors  of  estates,  as  well  as  of  the  labourers,  requires  that 
their  mutual  obligations  should  be  defined;  and  whereas,  on  inquiry 
into  the  practice  of  the  island,  and  into  the  private  contracts  and 
agreements  hitherto  made,  it  appears  expedient  to  establish  uniform 
rules  throughout  the  island  for  the  guidance  of  all  parties  con- 
cerned. It  is  enacted  and  ordained  : 

Para.  1.  All  engagements  of  labourers  now  domiciled  on  landed 
estates  and  receiving  wages  in  money,  or  in  kind,  for  cultivating 
and  working  such  estates,  are  to  be  continued  as  directed  by  the 
ordinance  of  29th  July,  1848,  until  the  first  day  of  October  of  the 
oresent  year ;  and  all  similar  engagements  shall  in  future  be  made, 
or  shall  be  considered  as  having  been  made,  for  a  term  of  twelve 
months,  viz  :  from  the  first  of  October  till  the  first  of  October, 
y<^ar  after  year. 

Engagements  made  by  heads  of  families  are  to  include  their 
children  between  five  and  fifteen  years  of  age,  and  other  relatives 
depending  on  them  and  staying  with  them. 

Para.  2.  No  labourer  engaged  as  aforesaid  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  soil,  shall  be  discharged  or  dismissed  from,  nor  shall  be  per- 
mitted to  dissolve,  his  or  her  engagement  before  the  expiration  of 


ement,  but  allow- 

)  are  not  able  to 
lished  by  the  late 

md  my  Hand, 
[ndia  Islands^  St. 

.   V.  SCHOLTEN. 


e  the  relations  be- 
the  Bural  Popula- 

e  Order  of  Danne- 
siating   Governor- 
dated  29th  July, 
mded  estates  were 
•eas  the  interest  of 
irers,  requires  that 
hereas,  on  inquiry 
rate  contracts  and 
establish  uniform 
»f  all  parties  con- 

)miciled  on  landed 
ad,  for  cultivating 
directed  by  the 
r  of  October  of  the 
in  future  be  made, 
a  term  of  twelve 
first  of  October, 

to  include  their 
nd  other  relatives 

the  cultivation  of 
nor  shall  be  per- 
the  expiration  of 


APPENDIX. 


349 


the  same  on  the  first  of  October  of  the  present,  or  of  any  follow- 
ing year,  except  in  the  instances  hereafter  enumerated  : 

A.  By  mutual  agreement  of  mastor  and  labourer  before  a 
Magistrate. 

B.  By  order  of  a  Magistrate,  on  just  and  equitable  cause  being 
shown  by  the  parties  interested. 

Legal  marriage,  and  the  natural  tie  between  mothers  and  their 
children,  shall  be  deemed  by  the  Magistrate  just  and  legal  cause  of 
removal  from  one  estate  to  another.  The  husband  shall  have  the 
right  to  be  removsd  to  his  wife,  the  wife  to  her  husband,  and  chil- 
dren under  fifteen  years  of  age  to  their  mother,  provided  no 
objection  to  employing  such  individuals  shall  be  made  by  the  owner 
of  the  estate  to  which  the  removal  is  to  take  piece. 

Para.  3.  No  engagement  of  a  labourer  shall  be  lawful  in  future 
unless  made  in  the  presence  of  witnesses  and  entered  in  the  day- 
book of  the  estate. 

Para.  4.  Notice  to  quit  service  shall  be  given  by  the  employer, 
as  well  as  by  the  labourer,  at  no  other  period  but  once  a-year  in 
the  month  of  August,  not  before  the  first,  nor  after  the  last  day  of 
the  said  month.  An  entry  thereof  shall  be  made  in  the  day- 
book, and  an  acknowledgment  in  writing  shall  be  given  to  the 
labourer. 

The  labourer  shall  have  given,  or  received,  legal  notice  of  removal 
from  the  estate  where  he  serves,  before  any  one  can  engage  his 
services.  Otherwise  the  new  contract  to  be  void,  and  the  party 
engaging  or  tampering  with  a  labourer  employed  by  others  will  be 
dealt  with  according  to  law. 

In  case  any  owner  or  manager  of  an  estate  should  dismiss  a 
labourer  during  the  year  without  sufficient  cause,  or  should  refuse 
to  receive  him  at  the  time  stipulated,  or  refuse  to  grant  him  a 
passport  when  due  notice  of  removal  has  been  given,  the  owner  or 
the  manager  is  to  pay  full  damages  to  the  labourer,  and  to  be 
sentenced  to  a  fine  not  exceeding  twenty  dollars. 

Para.  5.  Labourers  employed  or  rated  as  first,  second,  or  third 
class  labourers,  shall  perform  all  the  work  in  the  field  or  about  the 
works,  or  otherwise  concerning  the  estate,  which  it  hitherto  has 
been  customary  for  such  labourers  to  perform,  according  to  the 
season.  They  shall  attend  faithfully  to  their  work,  and  willingly 
obey  the  directions  given  by  the  employer  or  the  person  appointed 
by  him.  No  labourer  shall  presume  to  dictate  what  work  he,  or 
she,  is  to  do,  or  refuse  the  work  he  may  be  ordered  to  perform, 
unless  expressly  engaged  for  some  particular  work  only.  If  a 
labourer  thinks  himself  aggrieved,  he  shall  not  therefore  leave  the 
work,  but  in  due  time  apply  for  redress  to  the  owner  of  the  estate, 
or  to  the  Magistrate. 

^  80 


350 


APPENDIX. 


k 


It  is  the  duty  of  all  labourers  on  all  occasions  and  at  all  times 
to  protect  the  property  of  his  employer,  to  prevent  mischief  to  the 
estate,  to  apprehend  evil-doers,  and  not  to  give  countenance  to  or 
conceal  unlawful  practices. 

Para.  6.  The  working  days  to  be  as  usual,  only  five  days  in  the 
week,  and  the  same  days  as  hitherto.  The  ordinary  work  of  estates 
is  to  commence  at  sunrise  and  to  be  finished  at  sunset  every  day, 
leaving  one  hour  for  breakfast,  and  two  hours  at  noon,  from  twelve 
to  two  o'clock.  • 

Planters  who  prefer  to  begin  the  work  at  seven  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  making  no  separate  breakfast  time,  are  at  liberty  to  adopt 
this  plan,  either  during  the  year,  or  when  out  of  crop. 

The  labourers  shall  be  present  in  due  time  at  the  place  where 
they  are  to  work.  The  list  to  be  called  and  answered  regularly  ; 
whoever  does  not  answer  the  list  when  called,  is  too  late. 

Para.  7.  No  throwing  of  grass,  or  of  wood,  shall  be  exacted 
during  extra  hours,  all  former  agreements  to  the  contrary  not- 
withstanding;  but  during  crop  the  labourers  are  expected  to 
bring  home  a  bundle  of  longtops  from  the  field  where  they  are  at 
work. 

Cartmeta  and  crookpeople  when  breaking  off,  shall  attend  properly 
to  their  stock  as  hitherto  usual. 

Para.  8.  During  crop  the  mill  gang,  the  crook  gang,  boilermen, 
firemen,  still-men,  and  any  other  person  employed  about  the  mill 
and  the  boiling-house,  shall  continue  their  work  during  breakfast 
and  noon  hours,  as  hitherto  usual;  and  the  boilermen,  firemen, 
magass  carriers,  &c.,  also  during  evening  hours  after  sunset,  when 
required;  but  all  workmen  employed  as  aforesaid  shall  be  paid  an 
extra  remuneration  for  the  work  done  by  them  in  extra  hours. 

The  boiling-house  is  to  bo  cleared,  the  mill  to  be  washed  down  and 
the  magass  to  be  swept  up,  before  the  labourers  leave  the  work,  as 
hitherto  usual. 

The  mill  is  not  to  turn  after  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  and  the 
boiling  not  to  be  continued  after  ten  o'clock,  e.»',ept  by  special  per- 
mission of  the  Governor-General,  who  then  wlil  determine  if  any, 
and  what  extra  remuneration  shall  be  paid  to  the  labouiers. 

Para.  9.  The  labourers  are  to  receive,  until  otherwise  ordered, 
the  following  remuneration  : 

A.  The  use  of  a  house,  or  dwelling-rooms  for  themselves  and  their 
children,  to  be  built  and  repaired  by  the  estate,  but  to  be  kept  in 
proper  order  by  the  labourers. 

B.  The  use  of  a  piece  of  provision  ground,  thirty  feet  in  square  as 
usual,  for  every  first  and  second  class  labourer ;  or  if  it  be  standing 
ground  up  to  fifty  feet  in  square.  Third  class  labourers  are  not  en- 
titled to,  but  may  be  allowed  some  provision  ground. 


APPENDIX. 


851 


ind  at  all  times 
t  mischief  to  the 
untenance  to  or 

J  five  days  in  the 
y  work  of  estates 
unset  every  day, 
oon,  from  twelve 

n  o'clock  in  the 
it  liberty  to  adopt 
crop. 

the  place  where 
;7ered  regularly ; 
00  late. 

shall  be  exacted 
ihe  contrary  not- 
are  expected  to 
rhere  they  are  at 

11  attend  properly 

gang,  boilermen, 
d  about  the  mill 

during  breakfast 
dlermen,  firemen, 
fter  sunset,  when 

shall  be  paid  an 
extra  hours. 

washed  down  and 

eave  the  work,  as 

evening,  and  the 
pt  by  special  per- 
determine  if  any, 
abourers. 
(therwise  ordered, 

smselves  and  their 
but  to  be  kept  in 

y  feet  in  square  as 
*  if  it  be  standing 
Durera  are  not  en- 
id. 


C.  Weekly  wages  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  cents  to  every  first  class 
labourer,  of  ten  cents  to  every  second  class  labourer,  and  of  five  cents 
to  every  third  class  labourer,  for  every  working  day. 

Where  the  usual  allowance  of  meal  and  herrings  has  been  agreed 
on  in  part  of  wages,  full  weekly  allowance  shall  be  taken  for  five 
cents  a  day,  or  twenty-five  cents  a  week. 

Nurses  losing  two  hours  every  working  day  shall  be  paid  at  the  rate 
of  four  full  working  days  in  the  week. 

The  wages  of  minors  to  be  paid  as  usual  to  their  parents,  or  to  the 
person  in  charge  of  them. 

Labourers  not  calling  at  pay-time  personally,  or  by  another  autho- 
rized, to  wait  till  next  pay-day,  unless  they  were  prevented  by  work- 
ing for  the  estate. 

No  attachment  of  wages  for  private  debts  to  be  allowed,  nor  more 
than  two-thirds  to  be  deducted  for  debts  to  the  estate,  unless  other- 
wise ordered  by  the  magistrate. 

Extra  provisions  occasionally  given  during  the  ordinary  working 
hours  are  not  to  be  claimed  as  a  right,  nor  to  be  bargained  for. 

Para.  10.  Work  in  extra  hours  during  crop  is  to  be  paid  as 
follows  :— 

To  the  mill  gang  and  to  the  crook  gang  for  working  through  the 
breakfast  hour  one  stiver,  and  working  through  noon  two  stivers  per 
day. 
Extra  provision  is  not  to  be  given,  except  at  the  option  of  the  la- 
I   bourers,  in  place  of  the  money  or  in  part  of  it. 
j       The  boilermen,  firemen,  and  magass  carriers  are  to  receive  for  all 
I  days,  when  the  boiling  is  carried  on  until  late  hours,  a  maximum  pay 
\  of  twenty  (20)  cents  per  day.    No  bargaining  for  extra  pay  by  the 
I  hour  is  permiw^d. 

I  Labourers  working  such  extra  hours  only  by  turns  are  not  to  have 
I  additional  payment. 

I  Para.  11.  Tradesmen  on  estates  are  considered  as  engaged  to  per- 
I  form  the  same  work  as  hitherto  usual,  assisting  in  the  field,  carting, 
V  potting  sugar,  &c.  They  shall  be  rated  as  first,  second,  and  third 
;  class  labourers,  according  to  their  proficiency.  Where  no  definite 
j  terms  have  been  agreed  on  previously,  the  wages  of  first  clasL  trades- 
I  men,  having  full  work  in  their  trade,  are  to  be  twenty  (^20)  cents 
j  per  day.  Any  existing  contract  with  tradesmen  is  to  continue  until 
j  October  next. 

1  No  tradesman  is  allowed  to  keep  apprentices  without  the  consent 
I  of  the  owner  of  the  estate.  Such  apprentices  to  be  bound  for  no  less 
'  period  than  three  years,  and  not  to  be  removed  without  the  permis- 
,  sion  of  the  magistrate. 

I      Para.  12.  No  labourer  is  obliged  to  work  for  others  on  Saturdays, 
but  if  they  chose  to  work  for  hire,  L  is  proper  that  they  should  give 


352 


APPENDIX. 


their  own  estate  tbe  preference.  For  a  fall  day's  work  on  Saturday 
there  shall  not  be  asked  for  not  given  more  than : — 

Twenty  (20)  cents  to  a  first-class  labourer. 

Thirteen  (13)  cents  to  a  second-class  labourer. 

Seven  (7)  cents  to  a  third-class  labourer. 

Work  on  Saturday  may  however  be  ordered  by  the  magistrate  as 
a  punishment  to  the  labourer,  for  having  absented  himself  from  work 
during  the  week  for  one  whole  day  or  more,  and  for  having  been  idle 
during  the  week ;  and  then  the  labourer  shall  not  receive  more  than 
his  usual  pay  for  a  common  day's  work. 

Para.  13.  All  the  male  labourers,  tradesmen  included,  above 
eighteen  years  of  age,  working  on  an  estate,  are  bound  to  take  tbe 
usual  night-watch  by  turns,  but  only  once  in  ten  days.  Notice  to 
be  given  before  noon  to  brdak  off  from  work  in  the  afternoon 
with  the  nurses,  and  to  come  to  work  next  day  at  8  o'clock.  The 
watch  to  be  delivered  in  the  usual  manner  by  nightfall  and  by  sun* 
rise. 

The  above  rule  shall  not  be  compulsory,  except  where  voluntary 
watchmen  cannot  be  obtained  at  a  hire  the  planters  may  be  willing 
to  give,  to  save  the  time  lost  by  employing  their  ordinary  labourers 
as  watchmen. 

Likewise  the  male  labourers  are  bound,  once  a-month,  on  Sundays 
and  holidays,  to  take  the  day-watch  about  the  yard,  and  to  act  as 
pasture-men,  on  receiving  their  usual  pay  for  a  week-day's  work. 
This  rule  applies  also  to  the  crook-boys. 

All  orders  about  the  watches  to  be  duly  entered  iu  the  day-book 
of  the  estate. 

Should  a  labourer,  having  been  duly  warned  to  take  the  watch, 
not  attend,  another  labourer  is  to  be  hired  in  the  place  of  the  absentee 
and  at  his  expense,  not  however  to  exceed  fifteen  cents.  The  person 
who  wilfully  leaves  the  watch  or  neglects  it,  is  to  be  reported  to  the 
magistrate  and  punished  as  the  cause  merits. 

Para.  14.  Labourers  wilfully  abstaining  from  work  on  a  working 
day  are  to  forfeit  their  wages  for  the  day,  and  will  have  to  pay  over 
and  above  the  forfeit  a  fine  which  can  be  lawfully  deducted  in  their 
wages,  of  seven  (7)  cents  for  a  first  class  labourer,  five  (5)  cents  for 
a  second  class  labourer,  and  (2)  cents  for  a  third  class  labourer. 

In  crop,  on  grinding  days,  when  employed  about  the  works,  in 
cutting  canes  or  in  crook,  an  additional  punishmeiit  will  be  awarded 
for  wilful  absence  and  neglecii'  by  ^he  magistrate,  on  complaint  being 
made. 

Labourers  abstaining  from  work  for  half  a  day,  or  breaking  of 
from  work  before  being  dismissed,  to  forfeit  their  wages  for  one  day. 

Ldl}0Hrers  not  coming  to  work  in  due  time  to  forfeit  half  a  day's 
wages. 


APPENDIX. 


work  on  Saturday 


353 


( 


the  magistrate  as 
himself  from  work 
ir  having  been  idle 
receive  more  than 

1  included;  above 
bound  to  take  the 
I  days.  Notice  to 
in  the  afternoon 
It  8  o'clock.  The 
htfall  and  by  sun* 

>t  where  voluntary 
!T8  may  be  willing 
ordinary  labourers 

nonth,  on  Sundays 

ard,  and  to  act  as 

week-day's  work. 

9d  i'A  the  day-book 

to  take  the  watch, 
ace  of  the  absentee 
cents.  The  person 
be  reported  to  the 

jvork  on  a  working 
I  have  to  pay  over 
r  deducted  in  their 
five  (5)  cents  for 
jlass  labourer. 
)Out  the  works,  in 
t  will  be  awarded 
n  complaint  being 


r.i 


y,  or  breaking  off 
wages  for  one  day. 
forfeit  half  a  day's 


Parents  keeping  their  children  from  work  shall  be  fined  instead  of 
the  children. 

No  charge  of  house-rent  is  to  be  made  in  future  on  account  of 
absence  from  work,  or  for  the  Saturday. 

Para.  15.  Labourers  wilfully  abstaining  from  work  for  two  or 
three  days  during  the  week,  or  habitually  absenting  themselves,  or 
working  badly  and  lazily,  shall  be  punished  as  the  case  merits,  on 
complaint  to  the  magistrate. 

Para.  16.  Labourers  assaulting  any  person  in  authority  on  the 
estate,  or  planning  and  conspiring  to  retard,  or  to  stop,  the  work  of 
the  estate,  or  uniting  to  abstain  from  work,  or  to  break  their  engage- 
ments, shall  be  punished  according  to  law  on  investigation  before  a 
magistrate. 

Para.  17.  Until  measures  can  be  adopted  for  securing  medical 
attendance  to  the  labourers,  and  for  regulating  the  treatment  of  the 
sick  and  infirm,  it  is  ordered : 

That  infirm  persons,  unfit  fo  "^  any  work,  shall  as  hitherto  be  main- 
tained on  the  estates  where  they  are  domiciled,  and  be  attended  to 
by  their  next  relations. 

That  parents  or  children  of  such  infirm  persons  shall  not  remove 
from  the  estate,  leaving  them  behind,  without  making  provision  for 
them  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  owner,  or  of  the  magistrate. 

That  labourers  unable  to  attend  to  work  on  account  of  illness, 
or  on  account  of  having  sick  children,  shall  make  a  report  to  the 
manager,  or  any  other  person  in  authority  on  the  estate,  who,  if 
the  case  appears  dangerous,  and  the  sick  person  destitute,  shall  cause 
medical  assistance  to  be  given. 

That  all  sick  labourers,  willing  to  remain  in  the  hospital  during 
their  illness,  shall  there  be  attended  to  at  the  cost  of  the  estate. 

Para.  18.  If  a  labourer  reported  sick,  shall  be  at  any  time  found 
absent  from  the  estate  without  leave,  or  is  trespassing  about  the 
estate,  or  found  occupied  with  work  requiring  health,  he  shall  be 
considered  skulkingly  and  wilfully  absent  from  work. 

When  a  labourer  pretends  illness,  and  is  not  apparently  sick,  it 
shall  be  his  duty  to  prove  his  illness  by  medical  certificate. 

Para.  19.  Pregnant  women  shall  be  at  liberty  to  work  with  the 
small  gang  as  customary,  and  when  confined  not  to  be  called  on  to 
work  for  seven  weeks  after  their  confinement. 

Young  ciiildren  shall  be  fed  and  attended  to  during  the  hours  of 
work  at  some  proper  place,  at  the  cost  of  the  estate. 

Nobody  is  allowed  to  stay  from  work  on  pretence  of  attending  a 
sick  person,  except  the  wife  and  the  mother,  in  dangerous  cases  of 
illness. 

Para.  20.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  managers  to  report  to  the  police 
any  contagious  or  suspicious  cases  of  illness  and  death ;  especially 


354 


APPENDIX. 


t 


II 


when  gross  neglect  is  believed  to  have  taken  place,  or  when  children 
have  been  neglected  by  their  mothers,  in  order  that  the  guilty  per- 
son may  be  punished  according  to  law. 

Para.  21.  The  driver  or  foreman  on  the  estate  is  to  receive  in 
wages  four  and  a  half  dollars  monthly,  if  no  other  terms  have  been 
agreed  ol.  The  driver  may  be  dismissed  at  any  time  during  the 
year  with  the  consent  of  the  magistrate.  It  is  the  duty  of  the  driver 
to  see  the  work  duly  performed,  to  maintain  order  and  peace  on  the 
estate,  during  the  work  and  at  other  times,  and  to  prevent  and  report 
all  offences  committed.  Should  any  labourer  insult,  or  use  insulting 
language  towards  him  during,  or  on  account  of  the  performance  of 
his  duties,  such  person  is  to  be  punished  according  to  law. 

Para.  22.  No  labourer  is  allowed,  without  the  special  permission 
of  the  owner  or  manager,  to  appropriate  wood,  grass,  vegetables,  fruits 
and  the  like,  belonging  to  the  estate,  nor  to  appropriate  such  produce 
from  other  estates,  nor  to  cut  canes,  or  to  burn  charcoal.  Persons 
making  themselves  guilty  of  such  offences  shall  be  punished  accord- 
ing to  law,  with  fines  or  imprisonment  with  hard  labour ;  and  the 
possession  of  such  articles  not  satisfactorily  accounted  for,  shall  be 
sufficient  evidence  of  unlawful  acquisition. 

Para.  23.  All  agrements  contrary  to  the  above  rules  are  to  be  null 
and  void,  and  owners  and  managers  of  estates  convicted  of  any  prac- 
tice tending  wilfully  to  counteract,  or  avoid,  these  rules  by  direct  or 
indirect  means,  shall  be  subject  to  a  fine  not  exceeding  200  dollars. 

Government  House,  St.  Croix,  26th  January,  1849. 

P.  Hansen. 


I 


PINIS. 


e,  or  when  children 
that  the  guilty  per> 

ate  is  to  receive  in 
er  terms  have  been 
ly  time  during  the 
e  duty  of  the  driver 
ir  and  peace  on  the 
•  prevent  and  report 
lit,  or  use  insulting 
the  performance  of 
,g  to  law. 

i  special  permission 
js,  vegetables,  fruits 
priate  such  produce 
charcoal.  Persons 
>e  punished  accord- 
d  labour;  and  the 
anted  for,  shall  be 

rules  are  to  be  null 
ivicted  of  any  prac- 
i  rules  by  direct  or 
sding  200  dollars. 
1849. 

P.  Hansen. 


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to  assume  the  position  which  it  merits  as  a  hook  for  every  parlor- table  and  for  every 
fire-side  where  there  is  an  appreciation  of  the  kindliness  and  manliness,  the  intellect 
and  the  aiTection,  the  wit  and  liveliness  which  rendered  William  Wirt  at  once  so  emi- 
nent in  the  world,  so  brilliunt  in  society,  ar'i  so  loving  and  loved  in  the  retirement  of 
his  domestic  circle.  Uniting  nil  these  attr;  ctions,  it  cannot  fail  to  find  a  place  in  every 
private  and  public  library,  and  in  all  collections  of  books  for  the  use  of  schools  and 
colleges;  for  the  young  can  have  before  them  no  brighter  example  of  what  can  be 
accomplished  by  industry  and  resolution,  than  the  life  of  William  Wirt,  as  uncon- 
sciously related  by  himself  in  these  volumes. 

The  approbation  bestowed  upon  this  work  by  the  press  has  been  universal.  From 
among  numerous  recommendatory  notices,  the  publishers  submit  a  few. 

One  of  the  most  valuable  books  of  the  season,  and  certainly  one  of  the  most  enter- 
taining works  ever  published  in  this  country.  Mr.  Kennedy  is  admirably  qualified 
for  the  preparation  of  such  a  work,  and  has  evidently  had  access  to  a  great  variety  of 
useful  material.  The  work  is  one  which  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  young  man 
in  the  country.  Its  Intrinsic  interest  will  secure  it  a  very  general  popularity.— iV.  Y. 
Courier  and  Enquirer. 

The  fascinating  letters  of  Mr.  Wirt,  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  agreeable  men  of 
the  day,  in  themselves  furnish  a  rich  fund  of  instruction  and  enjoyment.—  Richm^d  Inq. 

Tliis  work  has  been  looked  for  with  much  interest  by  the  public,  and  will  not  disap- 
point the  high  expectations  justly  based  upon  the  well-known  talents  of  the  author, 
and  the  abundant  materials  left  by  the  distinguish'^d  orator  and  jurist,  to  which  he  has 
had  free  access. — Baltimore  American, 

The  style  is  at  once  vigorous  and  fascinating,  and  the  interest  of  the  most  absorbing 
character.—  Philadelphia  Inquirer 

Mr.  Kennedy  is  one  of  the  very  finest  of  American  writers.  He  never  touches  a 
subject  that  he  does  not  adorn— and  it  is  fortunate  for  the  memory  of  Mr.  Wirt  that  the 
history  of  his  life  has  fallen  into  such  hands.  The  publishers  have  performed  their 
task  in  excellent  style.  The  paper  and  the  type  are  good,  and  the  whole  getting  u{)  is 
admirable. — Richmond  Whig. 

Mr.  Kennedy  has  indeed  given  us  two  delightful  and  instructive  volumes.  No 
part  of  what  he  has  thus  brought  together  could  have  been  omitted  without  detriment 
to  the  perfect  picture  of  the  great  man  who  held  for  twelve  years  the  important  office 
of  Attorney-Generfil  of  these  United  States.  Inwoven  with  the  biographical  anec- 
dotes, letters,  and  speeches,  are  elucidatory  threads  that  guide  the  reader  to  a  better 
understanding  of  various  matters  of  history,  and  give  a  general  and  permanent  value 
to  the  work.  A  fine  portrait  is  prefixed  to  the  first  volume,  and  a  curious  fac-simile  of 
a  letter  from  John  Adams  is  given  in  the  second — N.  Y.  Commercial  AdveTiiser, 

Mr.  Kennedy  has  made  a  couple  of  very  interesting  volumes.  He  has  not  disap- 
pointed the  expectations  of  those  who  know  his  powers,  and  had  enjoyed  the  spirit, 
grace,  and  humor  of  his  previous  writings.  He  has  properly  adopted  the  plan  of 
making  Mr.  Wirt  speak  for  himself,  whenever  this  was  possible.  We  have,  accord- 
ingly, a  large  body  of  his  letters,  showing  him  in  every  possible  attitude,  during  almost 
every  period  of  his  life,  and  always  in  a  manner  to  satisfy  us  of  the  equal  goodness  of 
his  heart  and  the  clear  manliness  of  his  intellect.  The  lawyer,  in  particular,  will  be 
apt  to  peruse  ihese  pages  with  a  sensible  sympathy.  They  illustrate  the  progress  of 
thousands,  through  a  long  and  painful  slrufigle-from  poverty,  through  adversity,  and 
finally,  into  renown  and  excellence.  They  furnish  many  admirable  examples,  as 
»vell  as  interesting  histoiy.— Charleston  Mercury. 


ONS. 


LEA  &  BLANCIIARD'S  NEW  PUBLICATIONS. 


EADY. 

m  WIRT. 


.' 


>. 

and  fac-simile  o 


fully  printed 

,  having  been  placed 
lund  lo  contain  much 
times,  as  well  as  to 

13  been  everywhere 
ers  have  pleasure  in 
r  price.    In  so  doing, 

its  former  cost  was 
■k  is  eminently  fitted 
r- table  and  for  every 
anliness,  the  intellect 

Wirt  at  once  so  emi- 
il  in  the  retirement  of 
)  find  a  place  in  every 
e  use  of  schools  and 
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am  Wirt,  as  uncon- 

!en  universal.  From 
it  a  few. 

le  of  the  most  enter- 
i  admirably  qualified 
8  to  a  great  variety  of 
of  every  young  man 
nl  popularity.— iV.  Y. 

nd  agreeable  men  of 
/menu—Richm^d  Inq. 
ic,  and  will  notdisup- 
talenisof  the  author, 
urist,  to  which  he  has 

of  the  most  absorbing 

He  never  touches  a 
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id  without  detriment 

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in  particular,  will  be 

strate  the  progress  of 

rough  adversity,  and 

liraule  examples,  as 


JOHNSTON'S  PHYSICAL   ATLAS. 

THE   PHYSICAL   ATLAS 

OF    NATURAL    PHENOMENA. 

FOR   THE   USE   OF   COLLEGES,   ACADEMIES,    AND    FAMILIES. 

BY  ALEXANDER  KEITH  JOHNSTON,  F.  R.  G.  S.,  E.  G.  S. 

In  one  large  volume,  imperial  quarto,  handsomely  bound. 

With  Twenty-six  Plates,  Engraved  and  Colored  in  tlie  Lest  style. 

Together  with  1 12  pages  of  Descriptive  Letter-press,  and  a  very  copious  Index. 

This  splendid  volume  will  fill  a  void  long  felt  in  this  country,  where  no 
work  has  been  attainable  presenting  the  results  of  the  important  science  of 
Physical  Geography  in  a  distinct  and  tangible  form.  The  list  of  plates  sub- 
joined will  show  both  the  design  of  the  work  and  the  manner  in  which  its 
carrying  out  has  been  attempted.  The  reputation  of  the  author,  and  the 
universal  approbation  with  which  his  Atlas  has  been  received,  are  sufficient 
guarantees  that  no  care  has  been  spared  to  render  the  book  complete  and 
trustworthy.  The  engraving,  printing,  and  coloring  will  all  be  found  of  the 
best  and  most  accurate  description. 

As  but  a  small  edition  has  been  prepared,  the  publishers  request  all  who 
may  desire  to  procure  copies  of  the  work  to  send  orders  through  their  book- 
sellers without  delay. 


LIST  OF  PLATES. 


GEOLOGY. 
Geological  Structure  of  the  Globe. 
Mountain  Chains  of  Europe  and  Asia. 
Mountain  Chains  of  America. 
Illustration  of  the  Glacier  System  of 

the  Alps.    (Mont  Blanc.) 
Phenomena  of  Volcanic  Action. 
Palaeontological  and  Geological  Map  of 

the  British  Islands.    (Frontispiece.) 


HYDROGRAPHY. 

1.  Physical  Chart  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean. 

2.  Physical  Chart  of  the  Indian  Ocean. 

3   Physical  Chart  of  the  Pacific  Ocean  or 

Great  Sea. 
Tidal  Chart  of  the  British  Seas. 
The    River    Systems  of   Europe  and 

Asia. 
The  River  Systems  of  America. 

Tidal  Chart  of  the  World. 


]METE0ROI,OGY. 

1.  Humbolili's  System  of  Isothermal  Lines. 

2.  Geographical  Distribution  of  the  Cur- 
re  iit.«  of  Air. 

3.  Ilyetograpliic  or  Rain  Map  of  the 
World. 

4.  Hyeloo:rnphic  or  Rain  Map  of  Europe. 
NATURAL  HISTORY. 

1.  Geogrnphical  Distrihution  of  Plants. 

2.  Geographical  Di.strihutinn  of  the  Culli 
vaied  Plants  u.sed  as  Food. 

3.  GeoKraphical  Distribuiion  of  Quadru- 
niiina,  l'"dentata,  Marsupialia,  and 
Pacliydermata. 

4.  Gi'ograpliiciil  Distribution  ofCarnivorn. 

5.  Geoijrnpiiical  Distribution  of  Ilodeiiiia 
and  Kuininaiitia. 

(i.  (leourrapluciil  Distribut'on  of  15irds, 
7  Geogiapliical  Digtributioii  of  Reptiles 
S.  Ethiiogriiphie  Mapofiht!  World. 
9.  Eilinof?rapliu;    Map   of  Great  Britain 
and  Ireland. 

The  intention  of  this  work  is  to  e.xhibit,  in  a  popular  and  attractive  form, 
the  results  of  the  researches  of  naturalists  and  philosophers  in  all  the  more 
importairt  branches  of  Natural  Science.  Its  study  requires  no  previous  train- 
ing ;  for  while  facts  and  deductions  aie  sii\ted  according  to  the  strictest  rules 
of  scientific  inquiry,  they  are  by  an  ingenious  application  of  colors,  signs, 
and  diagrams,  communicated  in  a  manner  so  simple  and  striking  as  to  render 
them  at  once  intelligible  and  easily  retained. 

For  the  first  time,  in  this  country,  the  principles  of  graphic  representation 
are  here  applied  to  the  delineation  of  the  most  important  facts  of  external 
phenomena.    Simple  but  significant  symbolical  signs  have  been  introduced 


LEA  &  BLANCHARD'S  NEW  PUBLICATIONS. 


JOHNSTON'S  PHTSICAI.  ATLAS— (Continued.) 


^k. 


to  an  extent,  and  with  aii  effect,  liitherto  never  contemplated.  Tlio  contents 
of  the  many  volumes,  formerly  the  sole  depositories  of  information  regarding 
the  different  kingdoms  of  nriture,  have  been  condensed  and  reproduced  with 
a  conciseness,  precision,  complctenesH,  and  promptitude  of  application  alto- 
gether unattainable  by  any  other  agency. 

The  elegant  substitute  of  linear  delineation  registers  the  most  complicated 
results  in  the  most  perspicuous  form,  affords  inexiiuustiblc  facilities  for  record- 
ing the  continued  advance  of  science,  and  "  rcnderw  its  progress  visible." 

The  Physical  Atlas  is  the  result  of  many  years'  labor,  and  in  its  construc- 
tion not  only  liavc  the  writings  and  researches  of  the  philosophers  and  travel- 
ers of  all  nations  been  made  use  of,  but  many  of  the  most  eminent  men  of 
the  age,  in  the  different  departments  of  science,  have  contributed  directly  to 
its  pages.  The  letter-press  gives  a  condensed  description  of  each  subject 
treated  of,  with  constant  reference  to  the  elucidation  of  the  maps,  and  the 
colors  and  signs  employed  are  uniformly  explained  by  notes  on  the  plates. 
But  while  endeavoring  to  make  available  to  every  one  the  rich  stores  of 
knowledge  otherwise  nearly  inaccessible,  it  has  ever  been  borne  in  mind  that, 
in  such  a  work,  accuracy  and  truth  are  the  first  requisites,  in  order  that  it 
may  be  a  guide  to  the  naturalist  in  investigating  the  more  philosophical  de- 
partments of  science,  and  to  the  inquirer  in  showing  what  has  already  been 
done,  and  what  remains  to  be  accomplished,  in  perhaps  the  most  universally 
interesting  and  attractive  branch  of  human  knowledge. 

From  among  a  vast  number  of  recommendatory  notices,  the  publishers  sub- 
mit the  following : — 

We  have  thus  rapidly  run  throi]>Th  (lie  contents  of  the  Atlas  to  show  its  compre- 
hensiveness and  philosophic  arriuifreinent.  Of  its  execution,  no  praise  would  be  in 
excess.  The  maps  are  troiu  the  original  plates,  and  these  are  beautifully  finished, 
and  the  coloring  has  been  laid  on  wiih  the  utmost  nicety  and  care.  The  size  is  an 
imperial  quarlo,  and  the  uccom|>anying  text  embraces  a  vast  amount  of  details  that 
the  imagination  is  called  on  to  fasten  and  associate  with  the  maps.  The  enterprise 
and  fine  taste  of  the  American  publif=hcr8  will,  we  hope,  be  rewarded  by  an  extensive 
sale  of  this  most  admirable  wor.k.  No  school -room  and  no  family  should  be  widiout 
the  Physical  Atlas. 

In  the  hands  of  a  judicious  teacher,  or  head  of  a  family,  information  of  the  most 
varied  nature  in  all  departments  of  science  and  natural  history  can  be  introduced  and 
commented  on,  in  reference  to  its  geographical  bearing,  while  the  materials  of  the 
text  and  the  Atlas  may  be  commented  on  to  any  desired  extent.  Such  works  give 
attractiveness  to  knowledge,  and  stimulate  to  energy  the  mind  of  the  young;  while  in 
the  beauty,  harmony,  and  intermediate  reactions  of  nature  thus  exhd)iled,  the  facili- 
ties of  imagination  and  judgment  find  room  for  equal  exercise  and  renewed  delight. 
It  is  the  lively  picture  and  representation  of  our  planet. — New  York  Literary  World, 
March  9, 1850. 

The  book  before  us  is,  in  short,  a  graphic  encyclop.-cdia  of  the  sciences— an  atlas 
of  human  knowledge  done  into  maps.  It  exemplifies  the  truth  which  it  expresses — 
that  he  who  runs  may  read.  The  Thermal  Laws  of  liCslie  it  enunciates  by  a  hem  line 
running  across  a  map  of  Kurope;  the  abstract  re.«earches  of  Gauss  it  embodirs  in  a 
few  parallel  curves  winding  over  a  section  of  the  globe;  a  formula  of  Laplace  it 
melts  down  to  a  little  path  of  mezzotint  shadow  ;  aproblemof  the  transcendental  ana- 
lysis, which  covers  pages  with  definite  integrals,  it  makes  plain  to  the  eye  by  a  little 
stippling  and  hatching  on  a  given  degree  of  longitude  !  All  possible  relations  of 
time  and  space,  heat  and  cold,  wet  and  dry,  frost  and  snow,  volcano  and  storm,  cur- 
rent and  tide,  plant  and  beast,  race  and  religion,  attraction  and  repulsion,  glacier  and 
avalanche,  fossil  and  mammoth,  river  and  mountain,  mine  and  forest,  air  and  cloud, 
and  sea  and  sky— all  in  the  earth,  and  under  the  earlh,  and  on  the  earth,  and  above 
the  earth,  that  the  heart  of  man  has  conceived  or  his  head  understood— are  brought  to- 
gether by  a  marvellous  microcosm,  and  planted  on  these  little  sheets  of  paper— thus 
making  themselves  clear  to  every  eye.  In  short,  we  have  a  summary  of  all  the  cross- 
questions  of  Nature  for  twenty  centuiies— and  all  the  answers  of  Nature  herself  set 

down  and  speaking  to  us  voluminous  system  rfa/is  m a  wiot Mr.  Johnsion 

is  well  known  as  a  geographer  of  great  accuracy  and  research  ;  and  it  is  certain  that 
this  work  will  add  to  his  reputation  ;  for  it  is  beautilully  engraved,  and  accompanied 
with  explanatory  and  tabular  letterpress  of  great  value  —i-ondon  Athenceum. 


[)NS. 


LEA  &  BLANCHARD'S  NEW  PUBLICATIONS. 


intinued.) 

id.     Tlic  contents 
rmation  regarding 
1   reproduced  witli 
f  application  alto- 
most  complicated 
icilitics  for  rocord- 
gress  visible." 
tl  in  its  constriic- 
opliers  and  travel- 
st  eminent  men  of 
ributed  directly  to 
n   of  each  subject 
lie   maps,  and  the 
Les  on  the  plates, 
the  rich  stores  of 
lorne  in  mind  that, 
s,  in  order  that  it 
philosophical  de- 
has  already  been 
3  most  universally 

the  publishers  sub- 

0  show  its  conipre- 

1  praise  v^rould  be  in 
beautifully  finished, 
^art-.  The  size  is  on 
lount  of  details  that 
ips.  The  enterprise 
rdedby  an  extensive 
,'  should  be  without 

)rraation  of  the  most 
m  be  introduced  and 
he  materials  of  the 
.  Such  works  give 
the  young;  while  in 
exhd)ited,  the  facili- 
id  renewed  delight. 
York  Literary  World, 


e  sciences— an  atlas 
vhich  ii  expresses — 
cittles  by  a  bent  jine 
tu^s  it  einbodirs  in  a 
irmula  of  Laplace  it 
transcendental  ana- 
to  the  eye  by  a  lillie 
possible  relations  of 
;aiio  and  storm,  cur- 
jpulsion,  glacier  and 
orest,  air  and  cloud, 
ihe  earth,  and  above 
cod— are  brought  to- 
leets  of  paper— thus 
nary  of  all  the  cross- 
it  Nature  herself  set 
.  .  Mr.  Johnsion 
and  it  is  certain  that 
d,  and  accompanied 
I  Athenaeum. 


SOMERVILLE'S  PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 
New  Edition,  much  improved.    Now  Ready. 

PHYSICAL  "geography. 

BY  MARY  SOMERVILLE, 

AUTHOR  or  '*  THfc  CONNECTION  OF  THE  PHYSICAL  SCIENCES,"'  ETC.  ETC. 

SECOND  AMERICAN  EDITION. 

Ji'rotn  tht  SteouA  and  RtvtatA  Mjondon  £dtttOH, 

WITH   AMERICAN   NOTES,    GLOSSARY,   &C. 

In  one  neat  royal  I2mo.  volume,  extra  cloth,  of  over  500  pages. 

The  great  success  of  this  work,  and  its  inlroduetiun  into  many  of  the  higher  schools 
and  academies,  have  induced  the  publishers  to  prepare  a  new  and  much  improved 
edition.  In  addition  to  the  corrcctioiis  and  improvements  of  the  author  bestowed  on 
the  work  in  its  passage  through  the  press  a  second  time  in  London,  notes  have  been 
introduced  to  adapt  it  more  fully  to  the  physical  geography  of  this  country  ;  and  a 
comprehensive  glossary  has  been  added,  rendering  the  volume  more  particularly 
suited  to  educational  purposes.  The  amount  of  these  additions  may  be  understood 
from  the  fact,  that  not  only  has  the  size  of  the  page  been  increased,  but  the  volume 
itself  enlarged  by  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  pages.  At  the  samu  time,  the  price 
has  not  been  increased. 

Whde  reading  this  work,  we  could  not  help  thinking  how  interesting,  as  well  as 
useful,  geography  as  a  branch  of  education  might  be  made  in  our  schools.  In  many  of 
them  however,  this  is  not  accomplished.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  de'-^e  will  be 
remedied  ;  and  that  in  all  our  educational  institutions  Gt^ography  will  soon  be  laught 
in  the  proper  way.  Mrs.  Somerville's  work  may,  in  this  respect,  be  pointed  to  as  a 
model. —  TaiVs  Er/inburgh  Magazine. 

Our  praise  comes  lagging  in  the  rear,  and  is  well-nigh  superfluous.  But  we  are 
anxious  to  recommend  to  our  youth  the  enlarged  method  of  studying  geography  which 
her  present  work  demonstrates  to  be  as  captivating  as  it  is  instructive.  Nowhere, 
except  in  her  own  previous  work,  "The  Connection  oftlie  Physical  Sciences,"  is  there 
to  be  found  so  large  a  store  of  well  selected  information  so  lucidly  set  forth.  In  sur- 
veying and  grouping  together  whatever  has  been  seen  by  the  eyes  of  others,  or  detect- 
ed by  their  laborious  investigation.s,  she  is  not  surpassed  by  any  one.  We  have  no 
obscurities  other  than  what  the  imperfect  state  of  science  itself  involves  her  in  ;  no 
dissertations  which  are  fell  to  interrupt  or  delay.  Slie  si  rings  her  beads  distinct  and 
close  together.  Svith  cjuiet  perspicacity  she  seizes  at  once  whatever  is  most  interest- 
ing and  most  captivating  in  her  subject.  Therefoie  it  is  we  are  for  the  book  ;  and  we 
hold  such  presents  as  Mrs.  Somerville  has  bestowed  upon  the  public,  to  be  of  incalcu- 
lable value,  disseminating  more  sound  information  than  all  the  literary  and  scientific 
institutions  will  accomplish  in  a  whole  cycle  of  their  existence.— l>/acfc?oood'«  Mag. 

HERVEY'S  COURT  OF  GEORGE  IL 

MEMOIRS  OF  THE  REIOlToF  OEOROE  THE  SEGONU, 

From  his  Accession  to  the  Death  of  Queen  Caroline. 

BY  JOHN  LORD  IIERVEY. 

EDITED,   FROM   THE   ORIGINAL   MANUSCRIPT,   AT   ICKWORTH, 

By  THE  Right  Hon.  JOHN    WILSON  CROKER,  LL.  D.,  F.  R.  S.,  &c. 

In  two  handsome  volumes,  royal  12mo.,  extra  cloth. 

PARDOE'S  FRANCIS  THE  FIRST.— Now  Ready. 

THE  COURT  AND  REIOnTf  FRANCIS  THE  FIRST, 

KING    OF    FRANCE. 

BY  MISS  PARDOE, 

author    of    "  LOUIS  THE   FOURTEENTH,"    "  CITY  OF   THE   SUtTAN,"   &C.  &C. 

In  two  very  neat  volumes,  royal  12mo.,  extra  cluth. 


LEA  &  BLANCHARD'S  NEW  PUBLICATIONS. 


HE:USCIIE:I<>S  outlines  of  astronomy.— JVV>id  iS«ady. 

OUTLINES   O^ASTKONOMY. 

BY  SIJl  JOHN  F.  W.  HERSCIIEL,  F.  R.  S.,  &c. 

In  one  neat  volume,  crown  octavo,  with  six  plates  aad  numerous  wood-cuts. 

With  this,  we  take  leave  of  this  remarkable  work,  which  we  hold  to  be,  beyond  a 
doubt,  the  greatest  and  most  remarkable  of  the  works  in  which  the  laws  of  astrono- 
my and  the  appearance  of  the  heavens  are  described  to  those  who  a;e  not  mathema- 
ticians nor  ol)servers,  and  recalled  to  those  who  are.  It  is  the  reward  of  men  who 
can  d;scend  from  the  advancement  of  knowledge  to  care  for  its  difTusion,  that  their 
works  are  essential  to  all,  that  they  become  the  manuals  of  the  profiuient  as  well  as 
the  text-books  of  the  'earner. — Athenrr.nm. 

Probably  no  book  ever  written  upon  any  science  has  been  found  to  embrace  with- 
in so  small  a  compass  an  entire  epitome  of  everything  known  within  all  its  various 
departments,  practical,  theoretical,  and  physical.— Kra?wm«r 

A  text-book  of  astronomy,  from  one  of  the  highest  names  in  ma  ^c  ience. — Sillitnan^s 
Journal. 


ASPECTS    OF    I^ATIJRE, 

IN    DIFFERENT    LANDS    AND    DIFFERENT   CLIMATES. 
WITH  SOIENTIFIO  ELUCIDATIONS. 

BY  ALEXANDER  VON  HUMBOLDT. 

TRANSI-ATED  BY  MRS.  SABINE. 

'  In  one  very  ne.at  volume,  royal  12mo.,  extra  cloth. 

It  is  not  without  diirulence  that  I  present  to  the  public  a  series  of  papers  which  took 
theirorigin  in  the  pre.sence  of  natural  scenes  of  grandeur  or  beauty,  on  the  ocean,  in 
the  forests  of  the  Orinoco,  in  the  Steppes  of  Venezuela,  and  in  the  mountain  wilder- 
nesses of  Peru  and  Mexico.  Detaclied  frag.neiits  were  written  down  on  the  spot,  and 
at  the  moment,  and  afterwards  moulded  int')  a  whole.  The  view  of  nature  on  an  en- 
larged scale,  the  display  of  the  concurrent  action  of  various  forces  or  powers,  and  the 
renewal  of  the  enjoyment  which  the  immediate  proipect  of  tropical  scenery  affords 
to  sensitive  minds— are  the  objects  which  I  have  proposed  to  myself. — Author's 
Preface. 

ZOOLOGICAL  RECREATIONS-Just  Issued. 

BY  W.  J.  BRODERIP,  Esq.,  F.  R.  S. 

In  one  neat  volume  of  376  pages,  royal  12mo.,  extra  cloth. 


INTRODUCTION  TO  FRAGTIGAL  GHEMISTRT. 

INCLUDING    ANALYSIS. 
By  JOHN  E.  BOWMAN, 

Demonstrator  of  Chemistry,  King's  College. 

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WITH  NEARLY  ONE  HUNDRED  ENORAVINOS  ON  WOOD. 


i 


STEINMETZ'S    HISTORY  OF  THE  JESUITS. 
IIIIi^TORY    Or"^IIE   .lESlJITS, 

FROM  THE   FOUNDATIO.V   OF   TIIEtR  SOl'IISTY    TO  ITS  SUl'l'RlSSSION  BY   POPK  CLEMENT   XIV. 

Tkeir  Missions  throughout  the  World  ;  their  "Educational  System  and  Literature ; 
with  their  Jievicnl  and  Present  State. 

BY    ANDREW    STEIN  METZ, 

Author  of  "The  Novitiate,"  and  "The  Jesuit  in  the  Family." 
In  two  handsome  crown  8vo.  vols,  of  aliout  four  hundred  pages  each,  extra  cloth. 


/-n 


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NOMY. 

,.  S.,  &c. 

nerous  wood-cuts. 

hold  to  be,  beyond  a 
he  laws  of  astrono- 
o  a;e  not  maihema- 
rewardofmen  who 
diflfusion,  that  their 
rofiuient  as  well  as 

nd  to  embrace  with- 
I'ithin  all  its  various 

.c  ience.— St'Wtwian'i 


E, 

JLIMATES. 

LDT. 


:loth. 

f  papers  which  took 
ty,  on  the  ocean,  in 
le  mountain  wilder- 
own  on  the  spot,  and 
of  nature  on  an  en- 
B  or  powers,  and  the 
ical  scenery  affords 
I  myself. — Atjthor's 


list  Issued. 

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xtra  cloth. 
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mSTRT. 


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ITS. 

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OR,  CHEMISTRY  APPLIED  TO  THE  ARTS  AND  TO  MANUFACTURES 

BY  DR.  F.  K:NAPP, 

Professor  at  the  University  of  Giessen.  I 

Edited,  with  numerous  Notes  and  Additions,  by 

DR.    EDMUND    RONALDS,    and    DR.   THOMAS    RICHARDSON. 

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processes  which  he  describes,  the  descriptions  are  precise,  and  conveyed  in  a  sim- 
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WEISBACH'S    MECHANICS. 

PRINCIPLES  OF  "the  MECHANICS 

OF  MACHINERY  AND  ENGINEERING. 

By  Professob  JULIUS  WEISBACH. 

TRANSLATED   AND   EDITED 

BY   PROFESSOR   GORDON, OF  GLASGOW. 
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In  two  Octavo  Volumes,  beautifully  printed. 

Volume  Ono,  with  five  hundred  and  fifty  illustrations,  just  issued. 
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fore tis  for  some  time;  and  we  may  c:\My  term  it  a  scientific  nem.—  The  Builder. 

The  most  valuable  contribution  to  practical  science  that  has  yet  appeared  in  this 
country. — Athencrnni. 

In  every  way  worthy  of  being  recommended  to  our  readers  —Franklin  Institute 
Journal. 

From  Charles  H.  Ilasxvell,  Esq..  Engineer  in  Chief,  U.  S.  N. 

The  design  of  the  author  in  supplying  the  in!»tructor  with  a  guide  for  teaching,  and 
the  student  with  an  auxiliary  for  the  acquirement  of  the  science  of  mechanics,  has, 
in  my  opinion,  been  aitniiied  in  a  most  snceesst'ul  nianiter.  The  illustrations,  in  the 
fullness  of  tlifir  consiruciion,  tnid  in  lypogrnphical  execution,  are  without  a  paralU-l. 
It  will  uti'ord  me  much  pleasure  to  recommend  its  use  by  the  members  of  the  pro- 
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port of  the  scientific  public,  and  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  handsomest  specimens  of 
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MULLER'S  PHYSIOS-LATELT  ISSUED,  t'    ,  v  ,    / 

PRINCIPLES 

OP 

PHYSICS   AND   METEOROLOGY. 

BY  PROFESSOR  J.  MULLER,  M.  D. 

EDITED,   WITH   ADDITIONS,   BY  R.  EGLESFELD  GRIFFITH,  M.  D. 

In  one  large  and  handsome  octavo  volume,  with  550  wood-cuts,  and  two 

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This  is  a  lurge,  elegant,  and  most  admirable  volume— thefirst  of  a  series  of  scien- 
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TIONS OF  THE  PHARMACEUTICAL  SHOP  AND  LABORATORY. 

BY  FRANCIS  MOHR,  Ph.  D., 

Assessor  PharmaciBE  of  the  Royal  Prussian  College  of  Medicine,  Coblentz; 

AND  TIIEOPHILUS  REDWOOD, 

Professor  of  Pharmacy  in  the  Pharmaceutical  Society  of  Great  Britain. 
EDITED,   WITH   EXTENSIVE    ADDITIONS, 

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Of  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy. 

In  one  handsomely  printed  octavo  volume,  of  670  pages,  with  over  600  en- 
gravings on  wood. 

In  I»rtpetraUoH,  workt  on  Jattnllurgry,  J<'ooa,   Iht   Sttmm  JEng-tntf 
MacMnea,  Jtat%onomyf  Mural  Xeouomyt  ATc. 


ONS. 


^IC  WORKS. 

QBLISHING 

ED  WORKS, 

departments. 

st  efficient  manner. 

B8  worthy  of  the  sup- 
isomest  specimens  of 
1  country. 

on  application  to  the 


D, 


LEA  &  BLANCIIARD'S  NKW  PUBLICATIONS. 


LOLOGY. 

d.D. 

GRIFFITH,  M.  D. 
lod-cuts,  and  two 


of  a  series  of  scien- 
h  cannot  fail  lo  com- 
e  progress  of  science 
e  most  distinguished 
ired  with  the  uimos: 
hat  wide  circulation 
\quirer. 


MACY. 

AND   MANIFULA- 
lAUORATORY. 

D., 

riicine,  Coblentz; 
Great  Britain. 


OCTER, 

1,  with  over  600  en- 
•  Sttmm  Mngintf 


i 


Now  Complete.— STRICKLAND'S  QUEENS  OF  ENGLAND. 
NEW   AND   IMPROV^iiD    EDITION. 

LIVES  OF  THE  QuVeNS  OF  ENGLAND, 

FROM  THE  NORMAN  CONQUEST. 
WITH    ANECDOTES   OF   THEIR  COURTS. 

Now  First  Published  from  Official  Records,  and  other  Authentic  Documents,  Pri- 
vate as  well  as  Public. 

NEW   EDITION,   WITH   ADDITIONS   AND   CORRECTIONS. 

BY  AGNES  STRICKLAND. 

In  six  volumes  crown  octavo,  extra  crimson  cloth,  or  half  morocco,  printed 

on  fine  paper  and  large  type. 

In  this  edition.  Volume  One  contains  Vols.  1,  2  and  3  of  the  12mo.  edition  ; 
Volume  Two  contains  Vols.  4  and  5 ;  Volume  Three  contains  Vols.  6  and  7 ; 
Volume  Four  contains  Vols.  8  and  9  ;  Volume  Five  contains  Vols.  10  and  1 1 ; 
and  Volume  Six  contains  Vol.  12.  The  whole  forming  a  very  handsome  se- 
ries, suitable  for  presents,  prizes,  &c. 

The  publishers  have  great  pleasure  in  presenting  to  the  public  this  work  in  a 
complete  form.  During  the  long  period  in  which  it  has  been  issuing  from  the  press, 
it  has  assumed  the  character  of  a  standard  work  ;  and,  as  occupying  ground  hitherto 
untouched,  as  embodying  numerous  historical  facts  hitherto  unnoticed,  and  as  con- 
mining  vivid  sketches  ot  the  character  and  manners  of  the  times,  with  anecdotes, 
documents,  &c.  &c.,  it  presents  numerous  claims  on  the  attention  of  both  the  student 
of  history  and  desultory  reader. 

Those  who  have  been  wailing  its  completion  can  now  obtain  it,  forming  a  handsome 
set,  twelve  volumes  in  six,  in  various  styles  of  binding. 

A  few  copies  still  on  hand  of  the  Duodecimo  Edition.  Vol.  I.— Contains 
Matilda  of  Flanders,  Matilda  of  Scotland,  Adelicia  of  Louvaine,  Matilda  of 
Boulogne,  and  Eleanor  of  Aquitaine.  Vol.  II. — Bereng,  ia  of  Navarre,  Isa- 
bella of  Angouleme,  Eleanor  of  Provence,  Eleanor  of  Castile,  Marguerite  of 
France,  Isabella  of  France,  Philippa  of  Hainault,  and  Anne  of  Bohemia. 
Vol.  III. — Isabella  of  Valois,  Joanna  of  Navarre,  Katharine  of  Valois,  Marga- 
ret of  Anjou,  Elizabeth  Woodvillc,and  Ann  of  Warwick.  Vol.  IV. — Elizabeth 
of  York,  Katharine  of  Arragon,  Anne  Boleyn,  Jane  Seymour,  Anne  of  Cleves, 
and  Katharine  Howard.  Vol.V. — Katharine  Parr  and  Queen  Mary.  Vol.  VI. 
— Queen  Elizabeth.  Vol.  VII. — Queen  Elizabeth  (continued),  and  Anne  of 
Denmark.  Vol.  VIII. — Henrietta  Maria  and  Catharine  of  Braganza.  Vol.  IX. 
— Mary  of  Modena.  Vol.  X. — Mary  of  Modena  (continued),  and  Mary  II. 
Vol.  XI. — Mary  II.  (continued),  and  Queen  Anno.  Vol.  XII. — -Queen  Anno 
(concluded). 

Any  volume  sold  separately,  or  the  whole  to  match  in  neat  green  cloth. 

These  volumes  have  the  fascination  of  a  lomanceunited  to  the  integrity  of  history.— 
Times. 

A  most  valuable  and  entertaining  work.— Chronicle. 

This  interesting  and  well-written  work,  in  which  the  severe  truth  of  history  takes 
almost  the  wiidness  of  romatu-e.  will  constitute  a  valuable  addition  to  our  biogra- 
phical literature.— Mor/iing  Herald. 

A  valuable  contribution  to  historical  knowledge,  to  young  persons  especially.    It 
contains-a  muss  of  every  kind  of  historical  matter  of  interest,  whicli  industry  and  re 
source  could  collect.    We  have  derived  much  eulerlainment  and  instruction  from 
the  work. — Aihenaum. 

The  execution  of  this  work  is  equal  to  the  conception.  Great  pains  have  been 
taken  to  make  it  both  inleres'ting  and  vn\iitih]a.—  Literary  Gazelle. 

A  charming  work— full  of  interest,  at  once  serious  and  pleasing.—  ]\ronsietir  Giiizol, 

A  most  charming  biographical  memoir.  We  conclude  by  expressing  our  unquiili- 
fled  opinion,  that  we  know  of  no  more  valuable  contribution  to  modern  hisiory  than 
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m 


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BY  FRANCIS  PULSZKY. 

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Madame  Pulszky  was  in  the  habit  of  direct  intercourse  with  the  foremost  and  most 
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8un?mary  of  the  political  events  in  Hungary,  from  the  arrival  of  the  Hungarian  Depu- 
tation in  1848,  to  the  treason  of  General  Georgy  on  the  ISi't  sf  August,  1849.  iVT.  Puls- 
zky has  also  prefixed  a  valuable  introduction,  which  gives  the  most  complete  History 
of  Hungary  that  has  ever  issued  from  the  English  press.— Gr/o6e. 

TAIiES  AlVD  STORIES  IFROi^I  HISTORY. 

BY  AGNES  STRICKLANl  , 

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THE   SrOAR   PLiAMTER'S  ir^AHVAIi. 

BEINO    A   TREATISE    ON    THE    ABT    or    OBTAirfl^'i-    SfCAR    FROM    THE    CANE. 

BY  W.  J.  EVANS,  A>     D. 
In  one  neat  volume,  small  8vo.,  '2(1::  pages,  vhh  <   M>d-cuts  and  iwo  plates. 

THEORY    )i»-^  i;%Wf^. 
BY  S.  T.  COLERIDGF.    In  onesi/iill  volume,  12mo. 


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A  ^E^V  EDITION,    WITH   A    PBEFACE   AND    A   SERIES   OF   QUESTIONS, 

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IONS. 


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Eleady. 

I  LADY. 

►  DUCTION 

h. 

\  work  is  the  accom- 
Ihe  English  Cabinet 
srest  attaching  to  the 
a  wide  popularity  for 
nate  its  value  if  n/o  so 
social  life  which  are 
md  Madame  Campan. 
1  of  the  first  character, 
he  foremost  and  most 
h'\8  given  a  complete 
"the  Hungarian  Pepu- 
.ugust,  1849.  M.  Puls- 
mosl  complete  History 

[STORY. 

etc. 

with  illustrations. 

LIVVAL.. 

FROM    THE   CANE. 
I  and  iwo  plates. 


le,  12mo. 


N    BELL, 


WO    PAST. 


octavo. 


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SHAW'S   ENGLISH    LITERATURE. 

OUTLINES  OP  ENGLISH  LITERATURE. 

BY  THOMAS  B.  SHAW, 

Professor  of  English  Literature  in  the  Imperial  Alexander  Lyceum  of  St.  Petersburg. 
In  one  large  and  handsome  royal  12mo.  volume. 

A  valuable  and  very  interesting  volume,  wiiich  for  various  merits  will  gradually 
find  its  way  into  all  libraries.— iV.  Y.  Knickerbocker. 

Supplies  a  want  long  and  severely  felt. — Southern  Literary  Gazette. 

Truces  our  literary  history  with  remarkable  zest,  fairness,  and  intelligence.— iV^.  Y. 
Home  Journal. 

An  admirable  work — graphic  and  delightful. — Pennsylvanian. 

The  best  publication  of  its  size  upon  English  literature  that  we  have  ever  met  with. 
— Neal's  Saturday  Gazette. 

Eminently  readable.— Ct<j/  Item. 

A  judicious  epitome — well  adapted  for  a  class-book,  and  at  the  same  time  worthy  of 
a  place  in  any  library. — Penn.  Inquirer. 

From  the  Rev.  W.  G.  T.  Shedd,  Professor  0/  English  Literature  in  the  University  of  Vt. 

Burlington,  May  18, 1849. 
I  take  great  pleasure  in  saying  that  it  supplies  a  want  that  has  long  existed  of  a 
brief  history  of  English  literature,  written  in  the  right  method  and  spirit,  to  seive  as 
an  introduction  to  the  critical  study  of  it.    1  shall  rei    :imend  the  book  to  my  clauses. 

FOSTER'S  EUROPEAN  LITERATURE.— Now  Ready. 

HANDBOOK  OF  MODERN  EUROPEAN  LITERATURE: 

British,  Danish,  Dutch,  French,  German,  Hungarian,  Italian,  Polish  and  Rus- 
sian, Portuguese,  Spanish,  and  Swedish. 

With  a  full  Biographical  and  Chronological  Indez:. 

BY  MRS.  FOSTER. 

In  one  large  royal  12mo.  volume,  extra  cloth. 

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In  treating:  other  subjncis  of  her  prallery — as  for  instance  those  widely  different  per- 
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The  critic  dealing  with  ssuch  an  encyclopedia  of  coquetries,  amours,  vicissitudes, 
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ES 

TURY. 


lely  different  per- 
I  forth  a  pathetic 
light  have  become 

ours,  vicissitudes, 
must  necessarily 
sr  like  the  above, 
—such  is  its  afflu- 
or  for  speculation 

of  France  ?  espe- 
Ihe  pages  before 


I  A. 

dincse  Frontier. 

GH  COOI<EY. 


authentic  account 
Mountains  to  Ueh- 
densely  inhal)ited 
jsearches,  and  has 
)rniation. 


>i¥D  HVAWL 

AT  BRITAIN. 

1812,  AND  CON- 
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( 


I 


Schmttt  and  XutMpl^»  ^'!mimtr4tt  »eft*ii.-   i-'oHliHued, 

From  Prof.  Roche,  Transylvania  Unirtrsiiy,  L^.tington,  Ktj.,  March  31,  1849. 

Whatever  influence  my  position  may  give  me  shall  be  most  cheerfully  employed  in 
bringing  into  general  use  ill  the  West  these  very  valuable  work?.  I  trust  that  you 
will  prosecute  to  a  close  the  proposed  series,  ami  that  the  execution  of  those  that  re- 
main to  complete  a  Latin  Curriculum  may  be  as  neat  and  in  all  respects  as  unex- 
ceptionable as  that  of  those  already  published. 

Froin  Prof.  John  Wilson,  Fre^.  Dep.  Dickinson  College,  Carlisle,  I)cc.  S,  IS43. 

I  have  examined  the  three  volumes  with  considerable  care,  and  can  give  tliein  my 
unqualified  approbation.  The  plan  is  judicious,  and  the  execution  vvonliy  of  all  prai.«e. 
The  notes  comprise  all  tliat  a  student  needs,  aiul  all  that  he  should  have;  and  their 
position  at  the  foot  of  the  page  is  just  what  it  should  be. 

From  PuoF.  E.  E.  Wiley,  Emory  and  Heitry  College,  Va.  Nov.  .30, 1849. 

From  the  cursory  examination  given  them,  1  must  say  that  I  have  been  highly  grati- 
fied. Such  a  series  as  you  propose  giving  to  the  public  is  certainly  a  great  dt-sidera- 
Vum.  Our  classical  ie.\t-books  have  heretofore  been  rendered  entirely  too  expensive, 
by  the  cosily  dresses  in  which  they  have  appeared,  and  by  the  extensive  di.splay  of 
notes  appended ;  many  of  wh'ch,  though  learned,  are  of  little  wortli  to  the  student  in 
elucidating  the  text,  ft  vvill  afford  me  pleasure  to  introduce  into  my  department  sucii 
booksof  your  series  as  may  be  in  our  course. 

From  S.  FL  Tatlor,  Esq.,  Andover,  Mass.,  Oct.  30, 1848.     ' 

The  notes  seen  to  me  very  accur.ate,  and  are  not  so  numerous  as  to  do  for  the  stu- 
dent what  he  ought  to  do  for  himsi;lf  I  can  with  safety,  therelore,  recommend  it  to 
my  pupils. 

From  Prof.  M.  M.  Campuell,  Principal  of  the  Grammar  School,  Indiana  University^ 

Nov.  (i,  lfc43. 

I  like  the  plan  of  your  series  I  feel  sure  it  wii  succeed,  and  thus  displace  some  of 
the  leariiud  lumber  of  our  schools.  The  notes,  short,  plain,  and  apposite,  are  placed 
where  they  ought  to  be,  and  furnish  the  learner  just  about  help  enough. 

From  Philip  liiNDSLEY,  D.  D.,  Pres.  of  the  University  of  Nashville,  Nov.  27, 1S48. 

The  classical  series,  edited  by  Drs.  Sclimitz  and  Zumpt,  has  already  acquired  a 
high  and  well-merited  reputation  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  I  have  carefully  ex- 
amined your  editions  of  Ctcsar  and  Virgil.  I  think  them  admiral)le  text-books  for 
schools,  and  preferable  to  all  others.  I  shall  avail  myself  of  every  suitable  occasion 
to  recommend  them. 

From  I?.  Sanford,  Esq.,  Bridgetvatrr.  Mass..  Jan.  17, 1840. 

I  liave  examined,  with  considerable  care,  boih  the  Cnnsar  and  the  Virsril.  and  am 
nineli  pleased  with  the  plan  and  execuiion  of  the  s(!ries  ihus  I'ur.  1  am  f.ii'-ticuliirly 
griitified  with  the  propriety  and  judgment  disr)layed  by  the  editors  in  the  r^'paration 
of  the  notes;  avoiding,  as  I  think,  the  prolixity  and  prol'iiseiiess  of  some  os  our  chis.s- 
ieal  works,  and,  at  tlie  same  lime,  the  barrenness  and  deficiency  of  others  ;  giving  a 
body  of  annotations  beticr  suited  to  aid  the  teat-her  in  imparting  a  knowledge  of  the 
language,  than  is  to  be  found  in  any  edition  heretofore  in  use. 

From  Pr(1i\  SxuRaESs,  TIannver  CoVege,  Indiaiia.  Dec.  'id,  1S4S. 

The  mere  name  of  the  editor.*  is  a  sunicieni  and  most  ample  guarantee  of  the  neeu- 
riicy  of  the  text,  the  judicious  clioioi.'  oi'  various  readings,  and  the  conformity  of  those 
iidoplcil  to  tin;  latest  invesllgation<  of  .MSy.,  and  the  results  of  ilie  inosl  enligliiened 
erilicisin.  The  notes  1  have  not  cxainineil  very  earet'ully,  except  those  of  the  Virgil. 
They  are  adinirublc.  exiiciiK-ly  condensed,  and  conveying  a  great  deal  of  most  valu- 
able, critieiFin  ill  the  hrit'feist  possible  way.    They  are  particularly  valuable  for  their 


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attention,  or  be  the  theme  of  coiiversatiun  in  the  private  circle.  Whatever  one  would  wish  to 
inquire  about,  it  seemed  oiiv  necessary  to  dip  into  the  Encyclopaedia  Americana,  and  there  the 
outline,  at  least,  wuuid  ho  fouuu,  and  reference  made  to  those  works  wliich  treat  at  large  upon  the 
subject.  It  was  not  strange,  therefore,  that  the  work  was  popular.  But  in  fourteen  years,  great 
events  occur.  The  last  fourteen  years  have  been  full  of  them,  and  great  discoveries  have  been 
made  in  sciences  and  the  arts ;  and  great  men  have,  by  death,  commended  their  names  and  deeds 
to  tlie  fideUty  of  the  biographer,  so  that  the  Encyclopsedia  that  approached  perfection  in  1832, 
might  fall  considerably  behind  in  1846.  To  bring  up  the  work,  and  keep  it  at  the  present  point,  has 
been  a  task  assumed  by  Professor  Vethake,  of  the  Pennsylvania  University,  a  gentleman  entirely 
competent  to  sucli  an  undertaking ;  and  with  a  disposition  to  do  a  good  work,  he  has  supplied  a 
supplementary  volume  to  the  main  work,  corresponding  in  size  and  arrangements  therewith,  and 
becoming,  indeed,  a  fourteenth  volume.  The  author  has  been  exceedingly  industrious,  and  very 
fortunate  in  discovering  and  selecting  materials,  using  all  that  Germany  has  presented,  and  resort- 
ing to  every  species  of  information  of  event;,  connected  with  the  plan  of  the  work,  since  the  pub- 
lication of  the  thirteen  volumes.  He  has  continued  articles  that  were  commenced  in  that  work, 
and  added  new  articles  upon  science,  biography,  history,  and  geography,  so  as  to  make  the  present 
volume  a  necessary  appendage  in  completing  facts  to  the  other.  The  nublishers  deserve  the 
thanks  of  the  readers  of  the  volume,  for  the  handsome  type,  and  clear  white  paper  they  have  used 
HI  the  publication."— l/JM/cd  States  Gazette. 

"  This  volume  is  worth  owning  by  itself,  as  a  most  convenient  and  reliable  compend  of  recent  His- 
tory, Biography,  Statistics,  &c.,  <kc.  The  entire  work  forms  the  cheapest  and  probably  now  the 
most  desirable  Encyclopaedia  published  for  popular  use."— iVcw  York  Triintne, 

"  The  Conversations  Lexicon  (Encyclopsdia  Americana)  has  become  a  household  book  in  all  the 
intelligent  families  in  America,  and  is  undoubtedly  the  best  depositoiy  of  biographical,  historical, 
geographical  and  political  information  of  that  kind  which  discriminating  readers  require."— iSWt- 
num'3  JourtuU. 

"  This  volume  of  the  Encyclopedia  is  a  Westminster  Abbey  of  American  reputation.  What 
names  are  on  the  roll  since  1833  ]"—N.  Y.  Literary  World. 

"  The  work  to  which  this  volume  forms  a  supplement,  is  one  of  the  most  important  contributions 
that  has  ever  been  made  to  the  literature  of  our  country.  Besides  condenstog  into  a  compara- 
tively narrow  compass,  the  substance  of  larger  works  of  the  same  kind  which  had  preceded  it,  it 
centains  a  vast  amount  of  information  that  is  not  elsewhere  to  be  found,  and  is  distinguished,  not 
less  for  its  admirable  arriingenient,  than  for  the  variety  of  subjects  of  which  it  treats.  The  present 
volume,  which  is  edited  by  one  of  the  most  distinguished  scholars  of  our  country,  is  worthy  to 
follow  in  the  train  of  those  which  have  prernded  it.  It  is  a  remarkably  felicitous  condensation 
of  the  more  recent  improvements  in  science  niid  the  arts,  besides  forming  a  very  important  addi- 
*'9n  to  the  department  of  lJit>graphy,  the  general  progress  of  society,  &c.,  Ac  "  -Albany  Argut, 


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LEA  AND  BLAN CHARD'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


CAMPBELL'S  LORD  CHANCELLOES. 


&.i>J  it»  ittiiii)k{uu}^} 


JUST    PUBLISHED. 


LIVES  OF  THE  LORD  CHANCELLORS  AND  KEEPERS  OF  THE  '^ 
GREAT  SEAL  OF  ENGLAND, 

FROM  THE  EARUEST  TIMES  TO  THE  REION  OF  KINO  OEOROE  IV., 

r    '*;         BY  JOHN  LORD  CAMPBELL,  A.M.,  F.R.S.E. 
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IHE  SECOND  SERIES  WILL  SHORTLY  FOLLOW  IN  FOUR  VOLUMES  TO  MATCH. 

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and  characters  of  a  long  succession  of  influential  magistrates  and  ministers,  and  the  manly  style 
of  his  narrative.  We  need  hardly  say  that  we  shall  expect  with  great  interest  the  continuation 
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B  hiii^  station  among  the  English  authors  of  his  age."— Quarfer^r  SeuioB. 

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office,  ia  necessarily  a  History  of  the  Constitution,  the  Court,  and  tbi  Jurisprudence  of  the  King- 
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the  charm  and  freedom  of  Biography  combined  with  the  elaborate  and  coreM  comprehensiveness 
itf  History."- jyr.  Y.  Tribune. 

MURBAY'S  ENCYCLOPAEDIA  OF  GEOGRAPHY. 


U-MU  tfti 


THE  ENCYCLOP/EDIA  OF  GEOGRAPHY, 

COMFRiaiNO 

A  COMPLETE  DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  EARTH,  PHYSICAL, 
STATISTICAL,  CIVIL  AND  POLITICAL. 

EXHIBITIXO 

ITS  RELATION  TO  THE  HEAVENLY  BODIES,  ITS  PHYSICAL  STRUCTURE,  THE 

NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  EACH  COUNTRY,  AND  THE  INDUSTRY, 

COMMERCE,  POLITICAL  INSTITUTIONS,  AND  CIVIL 

AND  SOCIAL  STATE  OF  ALL  NATIONS. 

'""     BY  HUGH   MURRAY,  F.R.S.E.,  &o. 

Assisted  in  BotAny,  by  Professor  HOOKER— Zoology,  &c.,  by  W.  W.  SWAINSON— Astronomy,  tin. 
by  Professor  WALLACE— Geology,  Ac,  by  Professor  JAMESON. 

RBVISED, -WITH   ADDITIONS, 

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THE   WHOLE  BROUGHT   UP,  BY   A   SUPPLEMENT,  TO  1841 

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VARIOUS  STYLES  OF  BINDING. 

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Nineteen  Hundred  laroe  iMPEiuAr,  Pages,  and  is  illustrated  by  Eighty- 
Two  SMALL  Maps,  and  a  colored  Map  of  the  United  States,  after  Tan 
ner's,  together  with  about  Eleven  Hundred  Wood  Cuts  executed  in  the 
best  style.  .    ,    -  - , ,,.-..,  .  . 


NS. 


LORS. 


IRS  OF  THE 


EOROE  IV., 

3.E. 

I,  extra  cloth. 

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ROSCOE'S  LIVES  OF  THE  KINGS  OF  ENGLAND. 

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VOLUME  ONE,*  CONTAINING  THE 

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In  neat  royal  duodecimo,  extra  cloth,  or  fancy  paper. 

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upon  English  history,  every  library  ought  to  be  provided."— Stduloy  Tma. 

MEMOIRS  OF  THE  LOVES  OF  THE  POETS. 
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BY    MRS.  JAMIESON. 
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SECOND  AMERIOAN  EDITION, 

ENLARGED    AND    AMENDED, 

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WITH    A    PORTRAIT. 

This  work  having  assumed  the  position  of  a  standard  history  of  this 
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and  at  a  less  cost,  that  its  circulation  may  be  commensurate  with  its  merits. 
It  is  now  considered  as  the  most  impartial  and  trustworthy  history  that  has 
yet  appeared. 

A  few  copies  of  the  edition  in  four  volumes,  on  extra  £ne  thick  paper, 

Erice  eig^t  aollars,  may  still  be  had  by  f  entlemen  desirous  of  procuring  a 
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this  country,  and  certainly  one  of  the  best  ever  written  by  a  foreigner.  It  has  been  constantly  and 
copionsly  used  by  every  one  who  has,  since  its  appearance,  undertalcen  the  history  of  this  countnr. 
la  the  course  of  the  memoir  prefixed  to  it,  it  u  vindicated  from  the  aspersions  cast  on  it  by  hit. 
Bancroft,  who,  nevertheless,  has  derived  from  it  a  vast  amount  of  the  information  and  documentary 
material  of  his  own  ambitious,  able  and  extended  work.  It  is  issued  in  two  volumes,  and  cannot 
fiail  to  find  its  way  to  eveiy  library  of  any  pretensions.— iVew  York  Coutier  and  Enqtdrer. 


COOPER'S  NAVAL  HISTORY. 


HISTORY  OF  TH£  NAVY  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  OF  AMERICA, 

BY  J.  FENIMORE  COOPER. 

THIRD  EDITIOir,    WITH   CORRECTIONS  AND   ADDITIONS. 

Complete,  two  volumes  in  one,  neat  extra  cloth. 

With  a  Portrait  of  the  Author,  Two  Maps,  and  Portraits  of  Paul  Jones,  Baimbridoi, 

Dau,  Prkblb,  Dicatcr,  Portbk,  Pbrrt,  ahd  McDoNoaaH. 

A  

WRAXALL'S  HISTORICAL  MEMOIRS. 


HISTORICAL  MEMOIRS  OF  MY  OWN  TIMES, 

BY  SIR  N.  W.  WRAXALL. 

ONB    NEAT    VOLUME,    EXTRA    CLOTH. 

This  is  the  work  for  which,  in  consequence  of  too  truthful  a  portraiture  of  Catherine  II.,  the 
author  was  itnprisoned  and  fined.  Taught  by  this  experience,  hu  succeeding  memoirs  he  sup- 
pressed until  after  his  death. 


WRAXALL'S  POSTHUMOUS  MEMOIRS. 


POSTHUMOUS  MEMOIRS  OF  HIS  OWN  TIMES, 

BY  SIR  N.  W.  WRAXALL. 

IN   ONE   VOLUME,    EXTRA   CLOTH. 

This  work  contains  muoli  secret  and  amusing  anecdote  of  the  pruniinent  persona{(os  of  the  day, 
which  rendered  its  posthumous  publication  necessary 

■  5    ••1.       I     'II  ii>    I    ' 


'IONS. 


STORY. 
ATES. 

3H  COLONIES 
INDENCE. 

3D, 

r  QUINCY. 

:loth, 

ard  history  of  this 
ition  in  smaller  size 
-ate  with  its  merits, 
hy  history  that  has 

-a  fine  thick  paper, 
rous  of  procuring  a 


if  the  earliest  histories  of 
t  has  been  constantly  and 
e  history  of  this  county, 
persions  cast  on  it  by  Air. 
rmatioi!  and  documentary 
two  volumes,  and  camiot 
r  mid  Enqidrer. 


ORY. 

S  OF  AMERICA, 

R. 

)ITIONS. 


L  Jones,  Bainbridok, 

tONOUOH. 


EMOIRS. 
N  TIMES, 

TH. 

ure  of  Catherine  II.,  the 
leding  memoirs  he  sup- 

^  V 

EMOIRS. 
N  TIMES, 

personagos  of  the  day, 


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CONTAININO  NEARLY  THREE  HUNDRED   LETTERS. 
NOW  FIRST  PUBLISHED  FROM  THE  ORIGINALS,  AND  FORMING  AN  UNINTER- 
RUPTED SERIES  FROM  1735  TO  1797. 

In  four  large  octavo  vrolumes,  with  a  portrait  of  the  Author. 

TFpTJRJssiTTrTTiRsr 

THE  LETTERS  OF  HORACE  WALPOLE,  EARL  OF  ORFORD, 

TO  SIR  HORACE  MANN,  FROM  1760  TO  1785. 

NOW  FIRST  PUBLISHED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  MSS. 

In  two  octavo  volumes,  to  match  the  above. 

WAi^iTTGrn^^ 

MEMOIRS  OF  THE  REIGN  OF  KING  GEORGE  THE  THIRD, 

BY  HORACE   WALPOLE. 

NOW  FIRST  PUBLISHED  FROM  THE  ORIGINAL  MSS. 

EDITED,    WITH   NOTES, 

BY  SIR  DENIS  LE  MARCHANT. 

These  Memoirs  comprise  the  first  twelve  years  of  the  reign  of  George  lit. :  and  recommend 
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with  America.    They  form  a  sequel  to  the  "  Memoirs  of  George  the  Second,"  by  the  same  author. 

BR?vlMmii^^ 

HISTORY  OF  THE  HUGUENOTS— A  NEW  EDITION, 

CONTINUED     TO     THE     PRESENT     TIME. 

BY  W.  S.  BROWNING. 
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of  1816."— TTtme*. 

WeIsolusj^ 

HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF  THE  SECOND  WAR  BETWEEN 

THE  UNITED  STATES   OF  AMERICA  AND  GREAT 

BRITAIN,  DECLARED  BY  ACT  OF  CONGRESS, 

JUNE  18,  1812,  AND   CONCLUDED  BY 

PEACE,  FEBRUARY  15,  1815. 

87  OHARIiBS  J.  IlTOERSOZiIi. 

One  volume  octavo  of  516  pages,  embracing  the  events  of  1812—1813. 
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RuiH'ilTOj^^ 

MEMORANDA  OF  A  RESIDENCE  AT  THE  COURT  OF  LONDON. 

COMPRISING  INCIDENTS  OFFICIAL  AND  PEUSONAI,.  FROM  1819  TO  1825; 

IMOLUDINQ  NEGOTIATIONS  ON  THK  OREOON  aUKSTION,  AND  OTHER  UNSETTLED  RELATION! 
BKTWKEN  TUK  UNITED  STATES  AND  GREAT  BRITAIN. 

BIT  &ZOHARB  RT7SH, 

fijivoy  Extruordinary  and  Minister  PlHuipotentiaiy  fioiu  tho  United  Stiilcs,  t'niin  1817  lo  1826 

In  one  largo  and  beautiful  oi'tavo  voliimu,  oxtra  clolh. 


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N  I  EBU  H  R'S    ROM  E. 


V 


il 


TUB   IIXSTOB7   OF   BOZCB, 

BYB.  G.  NIEBUHR. 
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prise Professor  Niebuhr's  Lectures  on  the  latter  part  of  Roman  History,  so  long  lost  to  the  world. 

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feature  in  that  wonderful  mind,  and  how  inimitably  beautiful  is  that  brief  account  of  TeruL"— Z)p 
Arnold  (Life,  vol.  ii.)  ..^.^.^^^^—..y.^,^^^,..^ 

PROFESSOR  RANKE'S  HISTORICAL  WORKS. 

HISTORir   OF   THB   FOPBS, 

THEIR  CHURCH  AND  STATE,  IN  THE  SIXTEENTH  AND  SEVENTEENTH  CENTURIES. 
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written  in  too  Catholic  a  spirit ; — the  Catholics  declaring,  that  generally  impartial  as  he  is,  it  is 
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THB  TURKISH  iLXVD  SPAXTZSH  EMFZRBS, 

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HISTORir  OF  THE  REFORMATIOIT  117  aHHEtLAXnT, 

BY   PROFESSOR   LEOPOLD   RANKE. 
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TRANSLATED  FROM  THB  SECOND  EDITION,  BY  SARAH  AUSTIN.  ,     , 

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romance  of  the  Reformation  selects  evidence  to  support  preconceived  theory.    Ranke  never  forgets 
the  statesman  in  the  theologian,  or  the  historian  in  the  partisan."— .iltAenicum. 

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ing lost  to  the  world, 
t  is,  to  all  earnest  stu- 
is."— Eclectic  Revitw. 

tew,  Jan.  1844. 
ill  that  have  appeared 
:  from  which  tlie  mort 
ost  experienced  politi- 
in  can  read  as  it  ought 
ommou  human  nature 

I  admiration  the  third 
litary  details  is  a  new 
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KE. 

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,  of  the  Popes,"  under 
and  Sevnnteenth  Cen- 
purpose  two  titles  will 

ERiMAxnr, 

NKE. 
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riN. 

Loudon  ediiion. 
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ng  archives  and  stale 
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IONS. 


DITION. 


lA, 


11 


EDRA 

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rioNs, 

a  crimson  clotb« 


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«  that  it  may  meet  the 
is  acknowledged  supe- 
slightly  altered  to  adapt 
igns  of  Tony  Johannot. 
f  the  wit  and  humor  ot 
test  manner.  A  copious 
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BOY'S  TREASURY  OF  SPORTS. 

THE  BOrs  TREASURY  OF  SPORTS,  PASTIMES  AND  RECREATIONS. 

WITH    FOUR  HUNDRED  ILLUSTRATIONS, 
BY  SAIXCUEI.    'WII.I.IAXMCS. 

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PREFACE. 

This  illustrated  Manual  of  "  Sports,  Pastimes,  and  Recreations,"  has  besn  prepared  with  especial 
regard  to  the  Health,  Exercise,  and  Rational  Knjuynient  of  the  young  ruauers  to  whom  it  u  ad- 
dressed. 

Every  variety  of  commendable  Recreation  will  he  found  in  the  foUowing  pages.  First,  you  hav« 
the  little  Toys  of  the  Nursery;  the  Tops  and  Alarbles  of  the  Play-ground ;  and  the  Balls  of  I'le 
Plav-room,  or  the  smooth  I^awn. 

1  hen,  you  have  a  number  of  Pastimes  that  serve  to  gladden  the  fireside ;  to  light  up  many  fac  '< 
right  joyfully,  and  make  tlio  parlour  le-edio  Willi  mirtli. 

Next,  come  tlio  Exeroisint?  Sports  of  the  Field,  the  Green,  and  the  Play-ground ;  lollowed  by 
the  noble  and  truly  English  game  of  Cricket. 

tiymnastics  are  next  admitted;  then,  the  delightful  recreation  of -Swimming  ;  and  the  healthful 
sport  of  Skating. 

Archery,  onco  the  ptide  of  England,  is  then  detailed  ;  and  very  properly  followed  by  Instructions 
in  the  graceful  ancomplishmeut  of  Fencing,  and  the  manly  and  enlivening  exercise  of  Riding. 

Anghng,  the  pastime  of  childhund,  boyliojil,  manluvul,  and  old  age,  is  nnxt  do.scrihed  ;  and  by 
attention  to  the  instructions  here  laid  down,  the  lad  with  a  stick  and  a  string  may  soon  become  un 
expert  Angler. 

Keeping  Animals  is  a  favourite  pursuit  of  boyhood.  Accordingly,  wo  Inve  described  how  to  rear 
the  I^abbit,  the  Squirrel,  tho  DorniDUse,  the  Guinea  Plij,  the  Pigeon,  and  the  Silkworm.  A  long 
chapter  is  adapted  to  the  rearing  of  Song  Birds  ;  tlie  several  varieties  of  wliirh,  and  their  respective 
cages,  are  next  described.  And  here  we  m.iy  hint,  that  kindness  to  Animals  invariably  denotes  an 
excellent  disposition ;  for,  to  pel  a  little  creature  one  hour,  and  to  trt.'at  it  harshly  the  next,  marks 
a  capricious  if  not  a  cruel  temper.  Humanity  is  a  jewel,  which  every  boy  should  be  proud  to  wear 
in  his  breast. 

We  now  approach  the  more  sedate  amusements — as  Draughts  and  Chess  ;  two  of  tlie  noblest 
exercises  of  the  ingenuity  of  the  human  mind.  Dominoes  and  Bagatelle  follow.  With  a  know- 
ledge of  these  four  games,  who  would  pass  a  dull  hour  in  the  dreariest  day  of  winter ;  or  who 
would  sit  idly  by  the  fire  t 

Amusements  in  Arithmetic,  harmless  Legerdeiniin,  or  sleight-of-hand,  and  Tricks  with  Cants, 
will  delight  many  a  fomily  circle,  when  the  business  of  the  day  is  over,  and  the  boolc  is  laid  aside. 

Although  the  present  volume  is  a  book  of  amusements.  Science  has  not  been  excluded  from  its 
pages.  And  why  should  it  be  !  when  Science  is  as  entertaining  as  a  fairy  tale.  The  cliiuiges  we 
read  of  in  Uttle  nui'sery-books  are  not  more  amusing  than  the  changes  in  Chemistry,  Uplics,  Elec- 
tricity, Magnetism,  i&c.    By  understanding  these,  you  may  almost  become  a  little  Magician. 

Toy  Balloons  and  Paper  Fireworks,  (or  Fireworks  without  Fire,)  come  next.  'Hien  follow  In- 
structions for  Moaelhng  in  Card-Boanl;  so  that  you  may  build  for  youi-self  a  palace  or  a  carriage, 
and,  in  short,  make  for  yourself  a  httle  paper  world. 

Puzzles  and  Paradoxes,  Enigmas  and  twiddles,  and  Tadcing  with  the  r'ingers,  next  make  »■?  plenty 
of  exercibe  for  "  Guess,"  and  "  Guess  apiin  "  And  as  you  have  the  "  Keys"  in  your  own  band,  you 
may  keep  your  friends  in  suspense,  and  make  yourself  as  mysterious  as  tite  Sphynx. 

A  chapter  of  Miscellanies — useful  and  amusing  secrets — whids  up  the  volume. 

The  "  Treasury"  contains  upwards  of  four  hundred  Engravings ;  so  that  it  is  not  only  a  collection 
of  "secrets  wortn  knowing,"  but  it  is  a  book  of  pictures,  as  full  of  prints  as  u  Christmas  pudding 
is  of  plums. 

It  maybe  as  well  to  mention  that  the  "Treasury"  holds  many  new  imnies  that  have  never 
before  been  printed  in  a  book  of  this  kind.  The  old  games  have  been  described  ui'resh.  Thus  it 
w,  altogether,  a  new  book. 

And  now  we  take  leave,  wishing  you  many  hours,  and  days,  nnil  weeks  of  nnjoymniil  over  taetw 
pages;  and  we  hope  that  yuu  may  be  as  happy  as  this  book  is  brimful  of  aniusuineui. 


m' 


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Air  ZZTTROBVOTIOZr  TO  EXTTOBEOXiOa'S'; 

OR,  ELEMENTS  OF  THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OP  INSECTS:  COMPRISING  AN  ACCOUNT 

OP  NOXIOUS  AND  USEFUL  INSECTS,  OP  THEIR  METAMORPHOSES,  FOOD, 

STRATAGEMS.  HABITAliuho,  SOCIETIES,  MOTIONS,  NOISES, 

HYBERNATION,  INSTINCT,  &c.,  <kc. 

IVlth  Platesy  Plain  or  Colored* 

BY  WKiLlAM  EISBY,M.A.,F.R.S.,  AND  WILLIAM  SFENOE,  ESQ.,  F.R.S. 

FROM  :  HE  SIXTH  LOMDOIT  EDITIOir,  WHICH  WAS  COBKEOTED  AKD  CONBIDEBABLT  ElfLAKOED. 

In  one  large  octavo  volume,  extra  cloth. 

"  We  have  been  gtetMj  interested  in  running  over  the  pages  of  this  treatise.  There  is  scarcely,  in 
the  wide  range  of  natural  science,  a  more  interesting  or  instructive  study  than  that  of  insects,  or 
one  than  is  calculated  to  excite  more  cariosity  or  wonder. 

"  The  popular  form  of  letters  is  adopted  by  the  authors  in  imparting:  a  knowledge  of  the  subject, 
which  renders  the  work  peculiarly  fitted  for  our  district  school  libraries,  which  are  open  to  all  ages 
and  classes."— .Htm<'<  Merchants  Magazine. 


ANSTED'S 


ANCIENT 

JUST  ISSUED. 


WORLD. 


THE  ANCIENT  WORLD.  OR.  PICTURESQUE  SKETCHES  OF  CREATION. 
BY  D.  T.  ANSTED,  M.A.,  F.R.S.,  F.G.S.,  &c. 

PROFESSOR  OF  OBOLOQY  IN  KI^'O'S  COLLEQI,  LONDON. 

"^    In  one  very  neat  volume,  fine  extra  cloth,  with  about  One  Hundred  and  Fifty  niustrationa. 

Tlie  object  of  this  work  is  to  pre^eac  to  the  general  reader  the  chief  results  of  Geological  investi- 
gation in  a  .simple  and  comprehensive  manner.  The  author  has  avoided  all  minute  details  of  geo- 
loRical  formations  and  particular  observations,  and  has  endeavoured  as  far  as  possible  to  present 
striking  views  of  ilie  wonderful  results  of  the  science,  divested  of  it«  mere  technicalities.  The 
work  is  got  up  in  a  handsome  manner,  with  numerous  illustrutiuii8,and  forms  a  neat  volume  for  the 
centre  table. 

G  E  0  L  0  G  vTiinriv^^ 

WITH  INSTRUCTIONS  FOR  THE  QUALITATIVE  ANALYSIS  OF  MINERALS. 

BY   JOSHUA   TRIMMER,   F.  G.  S. 

With  two  Hundred  and  Twelve  Wood-Cutj,  a  handsome  octavo  volume,  bound  in  embossed  cloth. 

This  is  a  systematic  introduction  to  Mineralogy,  and  Geology,  admirably  calculated  to  instruct 

the  student  ni  those  scientrcs.    The  organic  remains  of  the  various  forinatiuns  are  well  illustrated 

by  numeruu.i  tigures,  wluch  are  drawn  with  great  accuracy. 

NEW  ANlFToMP^^ 

•  NOW   READY. 


PLANTS 


SKEDZOiil. 

OR,  A  DESCRIPTION  OF  ALL  THE  MORE  IMPORTANT  PLANTS  USED  IN  MEDICINE 
AND  OF  THEIR  PROPERTIES,  USES  AND  MODES  OF  ADMINISTRATION. 

BY  R.  SGIiESFBIiD  GRIFFITH,  M.D.,  «cc.,  &,e. 

In  one  large  octavo  volume.    With  about  thnse  hundred  and  fifty  Illustrations  on  Woo^ 


A  POPULAR  TREATISE  ON  VEGETABLE  PHYSIOLOGY 


PUBLISHED   UNDER  THE  AUSPICES  OF  THE   SOCIETY   FOR   THE   PROMOTION 
POPULAR  INSTRUCTION;  WITH  Nl.VlEKOUS  WOOD-CUTS. 

BY   -W.  B.  CARPENTER. 

In  one  volume,  12mo.,  extra  cloth. 


OF 


A  TREATISE  ON  COMPARATIVE  ANATOMY  AND  PHYSIOLOGY, 

BY  W.  B.  CARPENTER. 

REVISED  AND  MUCH  IMPROVED  BY  THE  AUTHOR.    WITH  BEAUTIFUL  STEEL  PLATES. 

(Now  preparing.) 

OARPEXTTEXl'S  AJSriJUlAl^  PHTSZOZiOOV, 

.  WITH  ABOUT  THRKE  HUNDKKD  V\OUD-CUTS. 

(Prtiimnii''  ) 


0N3. 


IPULAR  USE. 

OX.OO'B'; 

SING  AN  ACCOUNT 


rOE,ESQ.,r.R.S. 

BABLY  EnLAKOED. 

There  is  scarcely,  in 
ma  ttaat  of  insects,  or 

rtedgB  of  the  subject. 
II  are  open  to  all  agea 

'  CREATION. 

• 

fty  Illustrations. 

f  Geological  inveati- 
nute  details  of  geo^ 
possible  to  present 
technicalities.  The 
neat  volume  for  the 


UNERALS. 

in  embossed  cloth, 
ulated  to  instruct 
le  well  illustrated 


TANY. 


„«rclN^ 
lis  on  Woo<i 


•OGYi 


lOMOTlON   OP 


)LOGY, 

PEKL  PLATES 

iOOV, 


LEA  AND  BLANCIIARD'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


YOUATT  ON  THE  PIG. 


THE   FZa: 

A  TREATISE  ON  THE  BREEDS,  MANAGEMENT,  FEEDIVG, 
AND  MEDICAL  TREATMENT  OF  SWINE, 

Wmi  DIRECTIONS  FOR  SALTING  PORK,  AND  CURING  BACON  AND  HAMS. 

BY    WILLIAM    YOUATT,   V.S. 

Author  of  "  The  Horse,"  "  The  Dog,"  "  Cattle,"  •'  Sheep,"  ic. ,  <tc. 

ILLOBTRiLTED  WITH  BNORAVUCaB  DBAWK   nOM  UFE  BY  WILUAM  HARVKY. 

In  one  handsome  duodecimo  volume,  extra  cloth,  or  in  neat  paper  cover,  price  SO  cents. 

This  work,  on  a  subject  comparatively  neglected,  must  prove  of  much  use  to  tanners,  especially 
in  this  country,  where  the  Pig  is  an  animal  of  more  importance  than  elsjwliure.  No  Wdi-li  lias 
ttitherto  appeared  treating  fully  of  the  various  breeds  of  swine,  their  diseases  and  cure,  bi'eediuj;, 
fattening,  Sus.,  and  the  preparation  of  bacon,  salt  pork,  hams,  &c.,  while  the  name  of  the  author  of 
"The  Horse,"  "The  Cattle  Doctor,"  &c.,  is  sufficient  authority  for  all  he  may  state.  To  render  it 
more  accessible  to  those  whom  it  particularly  interests,  the  publishers  have  prepared  copies  in 
neat  illustrated  paper  covers,  suitable  for  transmission  by  mail ;  and  which  will  be  sent  through 
the  post^>ffice  on  the  receipt  of  fifty  cents,  free  of  postage. 

CLATER  AND  YOUATrS  CATTLE  DOCTOR. 


EVERY  MAN  HIS  OWN  CATTLE  DOCTOR: 

CONTAINING    THE  CAUSES,  SYMPTOMS  AND   TREATMENT  OP  ALL 

DISEASES  INCIDENT  TO  OXEN.  SHEEP  AND  SWINE; 

AND   A  SKETCH   OF  THE 

ANATOMY  AND  PHYSIOLOGY  OF  NEAT  CATTLE. 

BY    FRANCIS    CLATER. 

EDITED.  REi'IBED  AND  ALMOST  RE-WRITT::N,  BT 

WILLIAM  YOUATT,  AUTHOR  OP  "  THE  HORSE." 

WITH   NUMEROUS  ADDITIONS, 

EMBRACING  AN  ESSAY  ON  THE  USE  OF  OXEN  AND  THE  IMI'ROVEMENT  IN  THE 

BREED  OF  SHEEP, 
BT  J.  S.  SKZNN.^R. 
WITH    NUMEROUS    CUTS    AND    ILLUSTRATIONS. 
In  one  12mo.  volume,  cloth. 
"  As  its  title  would  import,  it  is  a  most  valuable  work,  and  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  Ame- 
rican farmer;  and  we  feel  proud  in  laying,  that  the  value  of  the  work  has  been  greatly  enhanced 
oy  the  contributions  of  Mr.  Skinner.    Clater  and  Youatt  are  names  treasured  by  the  farming  com- 
munities of  Europe  as  household-gods ;  nor  does  luat  of  Skinner  deserve  to  be  less  esteemed  ia 
America."— iOwrJcon  Fatmer. 


CLATER'S  FARRIER. 


EVERY  MAN  HIS  OWN  FARRIER: 

CONTAINING  THE  CAUSES,  SYMI'TGMS,  AND  MOST  APPROVED  METHODS  OP  OUR! 

OP  THE  DISEASES  OP  HORSES. 

B7   FRAXTCIS    OiNATBR, 

Author  of  "  Every  Man  Ins  own  Cattle  Doctor," 

A  N  D   H  I  S    S  O  N,    J  O  H  N    C  L  A  T  E  R . 

FIPST  AMERICAN   FROM  THE  TWENTY-EIGHTH  LONDON  EiMTION. 
WITH    notks   and   additions, 

9*7    J.    S.    SKZITKTER, 

|»  piiu  I'Jiiuj   volutiie,  c.lolli.  ,      ;  ,r 


LEA  AND  BLAN GUARDS  PUBLICATIONS. 


YOUATT   AND   SKINNER'S 

STANDARD  WORK  ON  THE  HORSE. 


THE  HORSE. 

BY   WILLIAM   YOUATT. 

A   NEW   EDITION,  WITH  NUMEROUS  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

TOGKTHER   WITH  A 

OENSRAXi  HISTORY  OF  THE  BORSEs 

A  SIB8BRTATI0N  ON 

THE  AMERICAN  TROTTIKG  HORSE; 

HOW  TRAINED  AND  JOCKEYED. 

AN  ACCOUNT  OF  HIS  REMARKABLE  PERFORMANCES; 

AMD 

AZT  ESSAir  OZr  THB  ASS  AND  THB  XSVIiSy 

BY   J.  B.  SKINNER, 
Assistant  Post-Master-General,  and  Editor  of  the  Turf  Register. 

This  edition  of  Youatt's  well-known  and  standard  work  on  the  Manaee- 
ment,  Diseases,  and  Treatment  of  the  Horse,  has  already  obtained  such  a 
wide  circulation  throughout  the  country,  that  the  Publishers  need  say  no- 
thing to  attract  to  it  the  attention  and  confidence  of  all  who  keep  Horses  or 
ore  interested  in  their  improvement. 

"In  introducing  this  very  neat  edition  of  Youatt's  well-known  book,  on 'The  Horse,'  to  our 
readers,  it  is  nut  necessary,  even  if  we  had  time,  to  say  anything  to  convince  them  of  its  worth ;  it 
has  been  highly  spoken  of,  by  those  most  capable  of  appreciating  its  merits,  and  its  appearance 
under  the  patronage  of  the  'Society  for  the  DifI\uion  of  Useful  Knowledge,'  with  Lord  Brougham 
at  its  head,  aflTords  a  full  guaranty  for  its  high  character.  The  book  is  a  very  valuable  ono,  and  we 
endorse  tlie  recommendation  of  the  editor,  that  every  man  who  owns  the  '  hair  of  a  horse,'  should 
have  it  at  his  elbow,  to  be  consulted  like  a  family  physician,  'for  mitigating  the  disorders,  and  pro- 
longing the  life  of  the  most  interesting  and  useful  of  all  domestic  animals.'  "—Farmer's  Cabinet. 

"  Tills  celebrated  work  has  been  completely  revised,  and  much  of  it  almost  entirely  re-written 
by  its  iilile  nutlinr,  who,  from  bemg  a  practical  veterinary  surgeon,  and  withal  a  great  lover  and 
excellent  judffe  of  the  animal,  is  particularly  well  qualified  to  virrite  the  liistory  of  the  noblest  of 
qimdnipod!!.  AlesMrs.  Lea  and  Blanchard  of  Philadelphia  have  republished  tlie  above  work,  omitting 
n  few  of  the  first  pages,  and  have  supplied  their  place  with  matter  quite  as  valuable,  and  perhaps 
mure  interesting  to  tlie  reader  in  this  country ;  it  being  nearly  100  pages  of  a  general  liistory  of  t'ne 
hun^e,  a  dissertation  on  the  Amciican  trottin?  horse,  how  trained  and  jockeyed,  an  account  of  his 
reniarkiilile  perforinnnnes,  and  an  essay  on  tli.'  Ass  and  Mule,  by  J.  S.  Skinner,  Esq.,  Assistant  Pust- 
jiiustor-Geiinrul,  and  late  editor  of  the  Turf  Register  and  American  Farmer.  Mr.  Skinner  is  one 
of  mil'  most  pleasing  writers,  and  has  been  familiar  with  the  subject  of  the  horse  from  childhood, 
and  V,  K  need  not  add  that  he  has  acquitted  himself  well  of  the  task.  He  also  takes  up  the  inipnrt- 
aiil  gu))je(;t,  to  the  American  breeder,  of  the  Ass,  and  the  Mule.  This  he  treats  at  length  and  c<»t 
amore.  'i'iie  Philadelphia  edition  of  the  Hone  is  a  handsome  octavo,  with  numeru<vi  wood-cuts."— 
Ammcan  Auricutturul. 


'IONS. 


R'S 

HORSE. 


RATIONS. 


S£; 


)RMANCES; 


mXTLBf 


iter. 

on  the  Manage, 
obtained  such  a 
rs  need  say  no- 
keep  Horses  or 


The  Horse,'  to  our 
hem  of  its  worth ;  it 
and  iti  appearance 
ith  Lord  Brougham 
valuable  ono,  and  we 
of  a  horse,'  should 
disorders,  and  pro- 
^armer'i  Cabinet. 

entirely  re-written 
a  great  lover  and 
ry  of  the  noblest  of 
liove  work,  omitting 
laable,  and  perhaps 
leral  history  of  the 
,  an  account  of  his 
isq..  Assistant  Post- 
Mr.  Skinner  is  one 
•se  from  childhood, 
kes  up  the  inipnrt- 
at  length  and  con 
ti<\»  wood-cuts."— 


LEA  AND  BLANCIIARD'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


HAWKER  AND  PORTER  ON   SHOOTING. 

INSTRUCTIONS  TO  YOUN«  SPORTSMEN 

IN  ALL  THAT  RELATES  TO  GUNS  AND  SHOOTING. 
B7   LIEUT.  COI..  P.  KAT^fTKER. 

FROM   THE   ENLAROKD    AND    IMPHOVED   NFNTH    LONDON   EDITION, 

TO  WHICH  IS  ADDED  THE  HUNTING  AND  SHOOTINO  OF  NORTH  AMDRICA,  WITH 

DESCRIPTIONS  OF  ANIMALS  AND  BIRDS,  CAREFUMA'  COLLATED 

FROM  AUTHENTIC  ^^OURCES. 

BY  W.  T.  PORTER,  ESQ,. 

EDITOR  OF  THE  N.  Y.  SPIRIT  OF  THE  TIMES. 

In  one  large  octavo  volume,  rich  extra  cloth,  with  nuinurous  Illustrationa. 

"  Here  is  a  book,  a  hand-book,  or  rather  a  text-hnok — one  that  contains  the  whole  routine  of  the 
science.  It  's  the  Primer,  the  lexicon,  and  the  Homer.  Everything  is  here,  from  the  minutest 
portion  of  a  gun-lock,  to  a  dead  Buflalo.  The  sportsman  who  reads  tliis  book  understandingly.  may 
pass  an  examination.  He  will  know  the  science,  and  may  give  advice  to  others.  Ever*  sportsman, 
and  sportsmen  are  plentiful,  should  own  this  work.  It  should  be  a  "  vade  mecum."  He  shotild 
be  examined  on  its  contents,  and  estimated  by  his  abilities  to  answer.  We  have  not  been  without 
treatises  on  the  art,  but  hitherto  they  iiavo  not  descended  into  all  the  niiuutix  of  equipments  and 
qualifications  to  proceed  to  the  completion.  This  work  supplies  deticiencies,  and  completes  the 
sportsman's  library." — U.  S.  Gazette. 

"No  man  in  the  country  that  we  wot  of  is  so  well  calculated  as  our  friend  of  the  '  Spirit'  for  the 
task  he  has  undertaken,  and  the  result  of  his  labours  has  been  that  he  has  turned  out  a  work  which 
should  be  in  the  haiids  of  every  man  in  the  land  who  owns  a  double-barrelled  gun."— iV.  0.  Picayune. 

"A  volume  splendidly  printed  and  bound,  and  embellished  with  numerous  beautiful  engravings, 
which  will  douDtless  be  hi  great  demand.  No  sportsman,  indeed,  ought  to  be  without  it,  while  the 
genersl  reader  will  find  in  its  pages  a  fund  of  curious  and  useful  information."— JiicAmond  Whift, 


BY 


THB   DOa-, 

WILLIAM    YOUATT, 

Author  of  "  The  Horse,"  &c. 

WITH    NUMEROUS    AND    BEAUTIFUL    ILLUSTRATIONS. 

EDITED   BY  E.  J.  LEWIS,  M.D.  &c.  &c. 

In  one  beautifully  printed  volume,  crown  octavo.  >   .. 

LIST  OF-PLATES. 
Head  of  Bloodhound— Ancient  Greyhounds— The  Thibet  Dog— The  Dingo,  or  New  Holland  Dog^ 
The  Danish  or  Dalmatian  Dog — The  Hare  Indian  Dog— The  Greyhound — The  Grecian  Greyhound 
— Blenheims  and  Cockers— The  Water  Sponiel— The  Poodle— The  Alpine  Spaniel  or  Bemardine 
Dog— The  Newfoundland  Dog— The  Esquimaux  Dog— The  English  Shitep  Dog— The  Scotch  Sheep 
Dog— The  Beagle— The  Harrier— The  Foxhound— Plan  of  Goo<lwood  Kennel— The  Southern 
Hound— The  Setter— The  Pointer— The  Bull  Dog— The  Maslill— The  Terrier— Skeleton  of  the 
Dog— Teeth  of  the  Dog  at  seven  difTerent  ages. 

"  Mr.  Youatt's  work  is  invaluable  to  the  student  of  canine  history ;  it  is  full  of  entertaining  an  J 
instructive  matter  for  the  general  reader.  I'o  the  sportsman  it  commends  itself  by  the  lar^e  amount 
of  useful  information  in  reference  to  his  pecuhar  pursuits  which  it  embodies — information  which 
he  cannot  find  elsewhere  in  so  convenient  and  accessible  a  form,  and  with  so  reUable  an  authority 
to  entitle  it  to  his  consideration.  The  modest  preface  which  Dr.  Lewis  has  made  to  the  American 
edition  of  this  work  scarcely  does  justice  to  the  additional  value  he  has  imparted  to  it;  and  the 
pubUshers  are  entitled  to  great  crtdit  tor  the  handsome  maimer  in  which  they  have  got  it  up."— 
liorth  American. 

THB    SPORTSBXiVIT'S   Z.ZBIlil.RT, 

OR  HINTS  ON  HUNTERS,  HUNTING,  HOUNDS  SHOOTING,  GAME,  DOGS,  GUNS, 
FISHING,  COURSING,  &c.,  ic. 

BY   JOHN  MILLS,  ESQ., 

Author  of  "  The  Old  English  Gentleman,"  &c. 

In  one  well  printed  royal  duodecimo  volume,  extra  cloth. 

OR  SPECTACLES  FOR  VOUNG  SPORTSMEN. 

BY   HARRY    HIEOVER. 

In  one  very  neat  duodecimo  volume,  extra  cloth. 

"These  lively  sketches  answer  to  their  title  very  well.  Wherever  Ninirod  is  welcome,  there 
should  be  cordial  greeting  for  Harry  Hieover.  His  book  is  a  very  clever  one,  and  coiituins  many 
instructive  liiuls,  as  well  as  much  light-hearted  reading."— JSxam»icr. 

THE    DOa   AHfD   TUB   BVOTBLTSTHl AJSi . 

EMBRACING  THE  USES,  BREKDTNG,  TRAINING,  DISEASES,  ETC.,  OP  DOGS,  AND  AN 

ACCOUNT  OF  TllF.  DIFFERENT  KINDS  OF  GAME,  WITH  THKIR  HABITS. 

Al80|  Mint*  to  ShooterMf  with  various  useful  Recipes,  &<c«)  dto« 

BY   J.  S.  SKINNER. 

With  Plates.    In  one  very  neat  12nio.  volume,  •xtra  cloth. 


F  i  !| 


LEA  AND  BLANCIIARD'S  PUBLICATIONS. 

FRANCATELLI'S  MODERN  FRENCH  COOKERY. 

THE    MODE  UN    COOK, 

A  PRACTICAL  GUIDE  TO  THE  CULINARY  ART,  IN  ALL  ITS  BRANCHES,  ADAPTED  AS 

WELL  FOR  THE  LARGEST  B^STABLISHMKNTS  AS  FOR  THE  USE 

OF  PRIVATE  FAMILIES. 

BY  CHARLES  ELMt  FRANCATELLI, 

Pupil  of  the  celebrated  Careme,  and  late  Maitre  D'llotul  and  Chief  Cook  to  her  Majesty  the  Queen. 

In  one  largo  octavo  volume,  extra  cloth,  with  numeroua  illustrations. 

"  It  appears  to  be  the  book  of  books  on  cookery,  being  a  most  comprehensive  treatise  on  that  art 
preservative  and  conservative.  The  work  comprises,  in  one  large  and  elegant  octavo  volume,  14-17 
recipes  for  cooking  dishes  and  desserts,  with  numerous  illustrations ;  also  bills  of  fare  and  direc- 
tions for  dinners  for  every  m'uith  in  the  year,  fur  companies  of  8ix  persons  to  twenty-eight.— ^at 
JytteUigencer. 

"  The  ladies  who  read  our  Magazine,  will  thank  us  for  calling  attention  to  this  great  work  on  the 
noble  science  of  cooking,  in  whicli  everybody,  who  has  any  taste,  feels  a  deep  and  abiding  intere'jC. 
Francatelli  is  the  Plato,  the  bhaksneare,  or  the  Napoleon  of  his  department ;  or  perhaps  the  La 
Place,  for  his  performance  bears  the  same  relation  to  ordinary  cook  books  that  the  Mecanique 
Celeste  dues  to  Dubull's  Arithmetic.  It  is  a  large  octavo,  profusely  illustrated,  and  contains  every- 
thing on  the  philosophy  of  making  dinners,  supiwrs,  etc.,  that  is  woith  knowing.— GroAom's  Matamu. 

IvMsTAnws^^ 

BEODERXr  COOXERir  ZXT  Alili  ITS  BBJLKOHBS, 

REDUCED  TO  A  SYSTEM  OP  EASY  PRACTICE.  FOR  THE  USE  OF  PRIVATE  FAMILIES. 

IN  A  SERIES  OF  PRACTICAL  RECEIPTS,  ALL  OF  WHICH  ARE  GIVEN 

WITH  THE  MOST  MINUTE  EXACTNESS. 

BY    KlilZA    ACTON. 

WITH   NUMEROUS   WOOD- CUT  ILLUSTRATIONS. 
TO  WHICH  IS  ADDED,  A  TABLE  OP  WEIGHTS  AVD  MEASURES. 

THB  WHOLE  REVISED  AND  PKEPARRD  FOR  AMERICAN  HOUBilKEEFERB. 

BY  MRS.   SARAH  J,  HALE. 

From  the  Second  London  Edition.    In  one  large  12mo.  volume. 

"Miss  Elizf  Acton  may  congratulate  herself  on  having  composed  a  work  of  great  utility,  and  one 
that  is  speedily  finding  its  way  to  every  'dresser'  in  the  kingdom.  Her  Cookery-book  is  unques- 
tionably tlie  mcst  valuable  compendium  of  the  art  that  has  yet  been  publislied.  It  strongly  incul- 
cates economical  principles,  and  points  out  how  good  things  may  be  concocted  without  that  reck- 
less extravagance  which  good  cooks  have  been  wont  to  imagine  the  best  evidence  they  can  give  of 
■kill  in  their  profession." — London  Morning  Post. 

THE   COMPLETE   COOK. 

PLAIN  AND  PRACTICAL  DIRECTIONS  FOR  COOKING  AND  HOUSEKEEPING, 

WITH  UF'WARDS  OF  SEVEN  HUNDRED  RECEIPTS, 

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TIONS. 


H 


ANGE  OV  AIR  AND 
RAL  SPRINGS, 
,    FUR- 

GIENE. 

8eo. 

who  desire  to  retain 
states  the  work  has 
rstand  the  nature  ot 
assist  him  in  adopt - 
ince  the  author  hag 
peared  to  him  indis- 


EXCITEMENT, 

HEALTH. 


THB  XT AZZ.8, 

HE  FEET. 


iJX, 


IZSBS. 

igs, 

:h  nmny  cuts. 
S,  1  vol.,  witli  plates. 
N  OF  MAN— WHEWELL 
YSICAL  CONDITION  OF 


te. 


SICK  ROOM, 

CURE  OP  DISEASES. 
:c. 
R.  E.  GaiFnTH,  M.  D. 

cuts. 

.  but  sound,  sensible,  and 
lergencies,  and  co- operate 


S  GUIDE. 


ESSOR  OF  MECHA- 
SYLVANIA, 

FLOUR  MILL. 

s. 

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ES. 

R,  forming,  in  Con- 
or the  acquisition  of 

IN»S  FABLES, 

1  such  a  manner  as  to 
,St.c.,  in  Ivol.,  l2nio. 

HRASES, 

NVERSATIOV. 
leciilinr  pronunciation 
rably  to  facilitate  the 
I  18ino. 

FENELON, 

in  1  vol.,  ISino.,  con- 
,  intended  as  a  sequel 


HILLIARD  ON   REAL  ESTATE. 


NOW  READY. 


R0L06Y. 


i  WOOD,  AMD  iwc 


ind  will  be  found  in 

t  want  known  to  Ens. 
igiiiterost.  The  value 
mated  by  the  faot,  that 
una  of  2000i"— Zojiee/, 


RAPHir, 


ENTOATED  irsbz. 


HY. 


THE  CLASSICS 


PROS!, 
tlaa. 


PRE  AimERZOAN  LAW  OF  RSAL  PROPERTY. 

SECOND   EDITION,  REVISED,   CORRECTED,  AND   ENLARGED. 

BY    FRANCIS   HILLIARD, 

COUNSELLOR   AT  LAW. 

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diflerent  Stales,  as  will  be  seen  by  tlie  subjoined  extracts. 

"  The  work  before  us  supplies  this  deficiency  in  a  liighly  satisfactory  manner.  It  is  beyond  all 
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other  work  will  be  likely  to  supplant  Cruise's  Digest,  we  do  not  hesitate  to  say,  that  of  the  two, 
this  is  the  more  valuable  to  the  Ainerican  lawyer.  We  cunisrratulute  the  author  upon  the  siiccesa- 
ful  accomplishment  of  the  arduous  task  he  undertook,  in  reducing  the  vast  tody  of  the  American 
Law  of  Real  Property  to  *  portable  size,'  and  we  do  not  doubt  that  his  labours  will  be  duly  appre- 
ciated by  the  profession."— Zau»  Reporter,  Aug.,  1846. 

Judge  Story  says :— "  I  think  the  work  a  very  valuable  addition  to  our  present  stock  of  juridical 
literature.  It  embraces  all  that  part  of  Mr.  Cruise's  Digest  wliich  is  most  useful  to  American  law- 
yers. But  its  higher  value  is,  that  it  presents  in  a  concise,  but  dear  and  exact  form,  tlie  substance 
of  American  Law  on  the  same  subject.  J  know  no  work  that  we  possess,  whose  practical  utility  is 
likely  to  be  so  extensively  felt."  "  The  wonder  is,  that  the  autlior  has  been  able  to  bring  so  gre&  a 
mass  into  so  condensed  a  text,  at  once  compi'eheusive  and  lucid." 

Chancellor  Kent  says  of  the  work  (Commentaries,  voL  iL,  p.  635,  note,  5th  edition) :— "  It  is  a  work 
of  great  labour  and  intrinsic  value." 

Hon.  Rufus  Choate  savg :— "  Mr.  Hiltiard's  work  has  been  for  three  or  four  years  in  use,  and  I 
think  that  Mr.  Justice  Story  and  Chancellor  Kent  express  the  general  opinion  of  the  Massachusetts 
Bar." 

Professor  Greenleaf  says :— "  I  had  already  found  the  first  edition  a  very  convenient  book  of  refe- 
rence, and  do  not  doubt,  from  the  appearance  of  the  second,  that  it  is  greatly  improved." 

Professor  J.  H.  Townsend,  of  Yale  College,  says  :— 

"  I  have  been  acquainted  for  several  yean  with  the  first  edition  of  Mr.  Hilliard's  Treatise,  and 
have  formed  a  very  favourable  opinion  of  it.  1  have  no  doubt  the  second  edition  wiU  be  found  even 
more  valuable  than  the  first,  and  I  shaU  be  happy  to  recommend  it  as  I  may  Ymve  opportunity.  I 
know  of  no  other  work  on  the  subject  of  Real  Estate,  so  comprehensive  and  so  well  adapted  to  the 
itate  of  the  law  in  this  country." 


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ADDISON  ON  CONTRACTS. 


A  T&aATZSB  OTf  THB  ZiiLW  OF  0OXTTBA0T8  AXfO 
RZOHTS  AMU  IiZABZXiZTZBS  BZ  OOXTTBAOTU. 

BY  C.  G.  ADDISON,  ESQ., 

Of  the  Inner  Temple,  Barrister  at  Iavt. 
In  one  volume,  octavo,  handsomely  bound  in  law  sheep. 

In  this  treatise  upon  the  most  constantly  and  frequently  administered 
branch  of  law,  the  author  has  collected,  arranged  and  dovoloped  in  an  inteU 
ligible  and  popular  form,  the  rules  and  principles  of  the  Law  of  Contracts, 
and  has  supported,  illustrated  or  exemplified  them  bv  references  to  nearly 
four  thousand  adjudged  cases.  It  comprises  the  Rignts  and  Liabilities  of 
Seller  and  Purchaser ;  Landlord  and  Tenant ;  Letter  and  Hirer  of  Chattels ; 
Borrower  and  Lender ;  Workman  and  Employer;  Master,  Servant  and  Ap- 
prentice ;  Principal,  Agent  and  Surety;  Husband  and  Wife;  Partners; 
Joint  Stock  Companies ;  Corporations ;  Trustees;  Provisional  Committee- 
men ;  Shipowners ;  Shipmasters ;  Innkeepers  ;  Carriers ;  Infanta ;  Luna- 
tics, &c. 


WHEATON'S  INTERNATIONAL  LAW. 


BIiBMEXfTS   OF  ZZTTSBK ATZOKAI.   IiAVT. 

BY  HENRY  WHEATON,  LL.D., 

,  Minister  of  the  United  States  at  the  Court  of  Russia,  dec. 

TinRD  EDITION,  REVISED  AND  CORRECTED. 
In  one  large  and  beautiful  octavo  volume  of  650  pages,  extra  cloth,  or  fine  law  sheep. 

"  Mr.  Wheaton's  work  is  indispensable  to  every  diplomatist,  statesman  and  lawyer,  and  necessary 
indeed  to  all  public  men.  To  every  philosophic  and  liberal  mind,  the  study  must  be  an  attractive 
and  in  the  bands  of  our  author  it  is  a  delightful  oaa,"— North  American. 


HILL  ON  TRUSTEES. 


A  PRACTICAL  TREATISE  ON  THE  LAW  RELATING  TO  TRUSTEES, 

THEIR  POWERS,  DUTIES,  PRIVILEGES  AND  LIABILITIES. 
BT  JAMES  HILL,  ESQ., 

Of  the  Inner  Temple,  Barrister  at  Law. 
EDITED  BY  FRANCIS   J.  TROUBAT, 
■'"''"'"  Of  the  Philadelphia  Bar.  *     " 

In  one  large  octavo  volume,  best  law  sheep,  raised  bands. 

**  The  editor  begs  leave  to  iterate  the  observation  made  by  the  author  that  the  work  is  intended 
principally  fur  the  instruction  and  guidance  of  trustees.  That  single  feature  very  much  enhances 
Its  practical  value." 

•       ON  THE  PRINCIPLES  OF  CRIMINAL  LAW. 

In  one  18mo.  volume,  paper,  price  25  cents. 
BEING  PART  10,  OF  "  SMALL  BOOKS  ON  GREAT  SUBJECTS  " 


TIONS. 


rs. 


TBA0T8  AXVD 
NTRAOTU. 


V  ihcep. 

ucntly  ndniinistercd 
cvcloped  in  an  intel- 
le  Law  of  Contracts, 
references  to  nearly 
its  and  Iiiabilities  of 
id  Hirer  of  Chattels; 
ter,  Servant  and  Ap- 
»d  Wife;  Partners; 
jvisional  Committee- 
ers ;  Infants ;  Luna* 


.  LAW. 
prAz.  iiATxr. 

J.D., 

ssia,  dec. 

ED. 

loth,  or  fine  law  sheep. 

and  lawyer,  and  neceisaiy 
.udy  muat  be  an  attractire. 


fG  TO  TRUSTEES, 

LIABILITIES. 


iT, 

id  bands. 

that  the  work  is  iiiteudcd 
iture  very  much  enhance! 


NAL  LAW. 


B. 

OBJECTS" 


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LAW   BOOKS. 

SPBXrOXl'S   BQUXTir   JUBIBDlOTIOay. 

THE  EIJUITABLE  JURISDICTION  OF  THE  COURT  OF  CHANCERY, 

COMFRISINO 

ITS  RISE,  PROGRESS  AND  FINAL  ESTABLISHMENT. 

TO  WHICH   IS  PREFIXED.  WITH  A  VIEW  '10  THE  EIX'CIDATION  OF  THE  MAIN  SUB^ 
JECT,  A  CONCISE  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  LKADINO  DOCTRINES  OF  THE  COMMON 
LAW,  AND  OF  THE  COURSE  OF  FlUV'EDUKE  IN  THE  COURTS  OF  COM- 
MON IJVW,  WITH  REGARD  '10  CIVIL  RIGHTS;  WI  TH  AN  A'lTEMIT 
TO  TRACE  TH:JM  TO  THEIR  SOURCES:  AND  IN  WIUCH 
THE  VARIOUS    ALTERATIONS    MADE    UY   THK 
LEGISLATURE  IKJWN  TO  THE  PRESENT 
DAY  AKE  NOTICED. 

BT    GEORGE    SPEMOE,  ESQ., 

OiiF.  of  Iter  M(UU8ty'B  CuunseL 

INTWOOCTAVOVOLUMES. 

Volume  I.,  embracing  the  Principlna,  is  now  ready.  Volume  IL  is  rapidly  preparing  and  wil 
appear  early  in  1848.  It  is  based  upon  the  work  of  Mr.  Mudilock,  brought  down  to  the  present 
tune,  and  embracing  so  much  of  the  practice  as  counsel  tire  culled  on  to  advise  upon. 

A   XTBVT   IsAW    DZOTZOZTAB'S', 

CONTAINING  EXPLANATIONS  OF  SUCH  TECHNICAL  TERMS  AND  PHRASES  AS  OCCUP 

IN  THE  WORKS  OP  LEGAL  AUTHORS,   IN  THE  PRACTICE  OF  THE  COURTS, 

AND  IN  THJi  PARLIAMENTARY  PR(iCEEDINGS  OF  THE  HOUSE  OF  LORDS 

AND   COMMONS,   TO   WHICH    IS   ADDED,  AN    OUTLINE  OF  AN 

ACTION  AT  LAW  AND  OF  A  SUIT  IN  EQUITY. 

BT    HENR7   JAMES   ROIiTHOUS  E,  ES  Q., 

Of  the  Inner  Temple,  Special  Pleader. 

EDITED   FROM   THE  SECOND  AND   ENLARGED   LONDON   EDITION, 

WITH  NUMEROUS  ADDITIONS, 
BT  HENRY  FENINGTON, 

Of  the  Pliiladelphia  Bar. 

In  one  large  volume,  royal  12nno.,  or  about  .'>oo  pages,  double  columnB,  handsomely 

bound  in  law  sheep. 

"  This  is  a  considerable  improvement  upon  the  former  editions,  being  bound  with  the  usual  law 
bindincr,  and  the  general  execution  admirable— the  paper  excellent,  and  the  printing  clear  and 
beautiful.  Its  peculiar  usefulness,  however,  consists  in  the  valuable  additions  aliove  referred  to, 
being  intelligible  emd  well  devised  definitions  of  such  phriises  and  technicalities  as  are  peculiar  to 
the  practice  m  the  Courts  of  thi^  country.— While,  therefore,  we  recommend  it  especially  to  the 
students  of  law,  as  a  safe  guide  through  the  intricacies  of  their  study,  it  will  nevertheless  be  found 
a  valuable  acquisition  to  the  library  of  the  practiliouer  liimself."— .ilto.  Oazelte. 

"  This  work  is  intenued  rather  for  the  general  student,  than  as  a  substitute  for  many  abridgments, 
dige.sts,  and  dictionaries  in  use  by  the  professional  man.  Its  object  principally  is  to  impress  accu- 
rately and  distinctly  upon  the  mind  the  meaning  of  the  technical  terms  of  the  law,  and  as  such 
can  hotdly  fail  to  be  generally  useful.  There  is  much  curious  information  to  be  found  in  it  in  .>• 
gard  to  the  peculiarities  of  the  ancient  Saxon  law.  The  additions  of  the  American  edition  give 
ucreased  value  to  the  work,  and  evince  much  accuracy  and  care."— Pennsylvania  Law  Journal. 

TAirZsOR'S   MBDIOAIi   JPHISPaUDBlTOlI. 

A  PRACTICAL  TREATISE  ON  MEDICAL  JURISPRUDENCE. 

BY  ALFRED  S.  TAYLOR, 
Lecturer  on  Medical  Jurisprudence  and  Chemistry  at  Guy's  Hospital,  London. 

With  numerous  Notes  and  Additions,  and  References  to  American  Law, 

BY  R.  E.   GRIFFITH,  M.D. 
In  one  volume,  octavo,  neat  law  sheep. 

TAirZiOR'S   MAKirAZi   OF   T0XZ00Ii0O7. 

IN   ONE   NEAT   OOTAVO   VOLUME. 

K  HEW  WOBE,  KOW  BEADT. 

TRAZXiIi'S 

OUTLINES  OF  A  COURSE  OP  LECTURES  ON  MEDICAL  JURISPRUDENCR. 
IN   ONE  SMALL  OCTAVO   VOLUME. 


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BY    EDVCTARD    HYDE    EAST,   ESQ., 

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EDITED,    WITH    NOTES    AND     REFERENCES, 

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